


The Strange Tales of Doctor Strange #2

by petyrbaaaeeelish



Series: The Strange Tales of Doctor Strange [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (Comics), Game of Thrones (TV), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Civil War (Marvel), Doctor Strange - Freeform, Drama & Romance, F/M, Game of Thrones References, Implied Petyr Baelish/Sansa Stark, Marvel Universe, New Avengers, New York City, Petyr Baelish - Freeform, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Sansa Stark - Freeform, Sorcerer Supreme, Superhero Registration Act, Swords & Sorcery, Underground Avengers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-05-24 02:59:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14946339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petyrbaaaeeelish/pseuds/petyrbaaaeeelish
Summary: Its Independence Day, and Sansa just can't seem to get Doctor Strange off her mind. After a tragic event in the heart of New York City, Sansa races to the Sanctum Sanctorum to find answers- and to see if the Doctor has any romantic feelings towards her as well.





	1. A Strange Feeling

_Wow, this is good,_ I thought, as I stretched myself further across the blanket and chewed on the last bit of my hotdog. My two best friends seemed to agree with me, for they were stuffing their mouths with the food like there was no tomorrow.

“Hand me a napkin, will you?” Heather asked, waving her ketchup covered fingers at me. I tossed her a stack and picked up a few for my friend, Julia, as well. The three of us were on top of a grassy hill that overlooked the park near Julia’s house, a secluded area that never seemed to attract the flood of tourists that entered our city in the summer time. I adjusted my baseball cap to hide my face from the sun, before I picked up my can of Cherry Coke. Heather did the same, except hers was a mini can of Ginger Ale that she brought from home. Always, keen on saving money, she brought a backpack full of food for today, intent on sticking to her budget for the rest of the week. “So,” Heather piped up, once she popped open the can.  “How have the two of you been?”

“Good,” I replied, after I took a long sip. “We’ve been busy.”

“She has,” Julia, spitefully said. “I didn’t get to see you yesterday. I thought we were going to go out for a movie last night?”

“I told you something came up,” I said truthfully.

“You said that Friday night as well.”

“I lost my purse! What do you expect?”

Heather scooched over to me, before she asked, “Did you find it?”

“Yeah, some man gave it to the bartender,” I said with an air of indifference. “Luckily only my credit card and money was stolen.”

“That was nice of him.”

“Yeah, he’s a really nice guy,” I agreed. “Really sweet.”

“Oh, so you two talked?” Heather asked, as she crowded into my space. The two of them were looking at me eagerly, awaiting more.

“Yeah, he wanted to make sure I was okay.”

“And what did you give him in return?”

“My company,” I teased, not wanting to reveal too much to them. A sudden gust of wind blew on us from behind, the tree above our head swaying in the wind and letting a few stray leaves fall over us. _That was weird,_ I thought, and looked at the old willow tree curiously. I felt a sudden warmth come over me, a feeling that was hard to comprehend, but I knew something was different- as if…

“Sansa are you alright?” Heather asked me, giving me that motherly look that she often gave her two children. “You look…”

“We should go,” I said abruptly, and stood to my feet. I felt a sudden urging to leave this place. “Get your things.”

“But its nice here,” Julia complained. “And the minute we leave someone else is going to take this spot.”

The warm sensation inside of me grew stronger, prompting me to leave now before it was too late. “Where are you going?” Heather called out, the moment I stepped away from them. “Let’s just follow her,” I heard her say to Julia, and soon enough they were standing on either side of me.

“We need to take the subway,” I found myself saying. “We need to get out of this area.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know…” I glanced at my friends, noticing their look of concern. “We just _need_ too.”

I led them to the subway entrance, ignoring their pleas to just ride our bikes back to Julia’s place. They huffed in annoyance but were willing enough to follow me down the dirty steps into the deep caverns of the subway station. “Did you see someone?” Heather whispered, while Julia was giving the man her change for the ride.

“No, why would you think that?”

“Because you were pretty eager to leave.” She rested her hand on my shoulder and added, “And your face is pretty white, like you saw a ghost or something.”

“I didn’t see anything,” I said truthfully. I felt something though, as if unseen hands were guiding me away from the place. I could feel those warm hands on me still, leading me onwards to the Northbound train despite my friends protests to take the Southbound one.

“But there is nothing there,” Julia reminded me. “Besides it’s Independence Day. We have to go where all the action is.”

“We’re going to China Town,” I told them, and that made them exchange fleeting looks before they turned back to me.

“Sansa,” Heather cooed with her motherly voice. _You would never know she is the same age as me._ “What’s really going on?”

“If you don’t want to go, then we can say our goodbyes now,” I said sharply, taking them both by surprise.

“Sansa!”

“I don’t need you to ask me questions.” _I have enough going on in my head,_ I thought, as a picture of a rundown Chinese restaurant was suddenly placed into my mind. _Why do I feel the need to go there?_

“You’re are just acting weird, that’s all,” Heather replied in a soothing voice. “I know I don’t get to see you that often anymore, but I’ve known you since high school…” She let out a small breath before she added, “And I don’t know what’s going on with you right now.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, your acting strange.”

 _Strange,_ I thought, and at that moment the subway whizzed by us and I finally knew what this was all about. _This is his doing,_ I realized, and felt the warm sensation trickled down me further. The doors to the subway opened and I strode in, rejecting the offer to take the seats with my friend and chose to stand to the side of the walls instead. My phone was fished out of my purse, an old model that once belonged to Julia, but she was kind enough to let me keep it after my own cellphone was stolen Friday night. The screen was small, but it was just enough to look up a few shady restaurants in China Town. _Nothing,_ I thought, _there is nothing that resembles the one I keep picturing in my head._

 _My friends must think I’m mad,_ I contemplated, once I caught them both staring at me. _Let them think what they will._

The warm sensation faded slightly as the subway whisked northbound, and I felt like I could finally let out a sigh of relief. _Your away from danger,_ a voice said at the back of my head, a thing that made my face as white as snow.

“I think you need something to eat,” Heather piped up, sneaking up to me from the side without me knowing it. “I think we had too much sun today.”

“Yeah, I’m starving,” I lied, and shot her a grin that did not match my eyes. “And I know just the place.”

* * *

We opened the entrance way to find the area swarmed with bushes, a golden Chinese lucky cat was there to greet us, the arm swinging back and forth playfully. We opened the second set of doors to find the dining room empty, an elderly couple sitting next to the window was the only thing that assured us that the place was open.

There was strange energy here, a feeling of peace came over us as we walked into the room. Heather slung her backpack over her shoulder and nodded her head in approval. “Nice choice, Sansa, the food smells great here.”

“I feel like I’m at my grandma’s place,” Julia said with a smile. “With the music and everything.”

“Greetings,” a small, middle-aged woman said in a pleasant voice, bowing her head lightly in respect. “Table for three?”

“Yes, please,” I sweetly said, putting on my best manners. “Can it be over there?” I asked, before I pointed to a table off to the side of the room. _I feel like I should be sitting there,_ I thought, though there was nothing special looking about it.

“Oh, you wish to sit there?” she said with a wide-eyed expression.

“If you don’t mind.”

“Yes, I give you the best table,” she exclaimed, and picked up the menus before she led us to the table. “I give you tea?” she asked, once we were seated.

“Yes,” I answered for the three of us, which gave me more annoyed looks from my two best friends. The waitress whisked away quickly, and only then did my friends lean across the table and demand to know what was going on.

“I thought you liked tea,” I lied, ignoring their incessant stares. “And you said this place was nice.”

“Since when do we go out for Chinese?” Julia asked. “I’m always the one who has to drag you there.”

“Maybe it’s growing on me.”

“No, something is up! Did that guy who gave you the purse work here?”

“No,” I laughed, and shook my head at them with enjoyment.

“Is he Chinese?”

“No, but he carries around Nepali Rupees apparently.”                           

Julia moved the menu away from her and slammed her right hand on the table. “Alright, spill! Tell me about this guy.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Let’s start with the basics,” Heather interjected, the only calm voice amongst the three of us. “What’s his name?”

“Petyr Strange.”

“Oh, that’s terrible!” She started to laugh, which made me look up from the menu at her. “Sansa Strange, it sounds…”

“Ridiculous!” Julia piped up.

“It sorts of rolls off the tongue,” she joked. “Alliteration comes in handy, you see. Sansa Stark- Sansa Strange, it just works.”

“Strange,” Julia laughed. “Oh, I will never let this go.”

“You’re such a clumspat!” I retorted and ignored the way they looked at me.

“I’m a _what?_ ” She leaned over the table more, and added, “Did you just say clumspat or cum spat?”

“Whatever is more insulting,” I gibed, and threw the menu down on the table. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

I grabbed my things and walked away from the table. The bathroom was on the lower levels, so I opened a creaky door and made my way down the steps. The hallway was narrow here, uncommonly dark and I felt there was something about this area that made the hairs on my arm prick up. I stopped half way down the steps, looking around to see the causation but there was nothing there. The warm sensation came over me again, but this time it was stronger than ever. _He’s here,_ I thought, but the second it came into my mind that feeling was gone again.

“Bathroom is down here,” said a voice near the bottom of the steps, the same waitress appeared from around the corner and was watching me with a steady gaze.

“Thanks.”

“You look for something else though.” She took another step forward, blocking the staircase in a nonthreatening manner.

“I just needed sometime away from my friends.”

“They not like you,” she suggested, with a slight nod of the head. “I see you are different.”

I shrugged my shoulders at her, and then continued my leisurely jaunt down the steps. She did not move once I reached the bottom step, and that left a queasy feeling in my stomach. “You are marked,” she noted, and pointed at my forehead. “Protected.”

I touched the top of my forehead, wondering if I should have felt something there. “He is wise,” she murmured. “And wiser still to take you here. No harm shall come to you now.” She smiled at me, while she brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. “I will bring you tea and that will make you feel better. Come, come!” she entreated, and motioned me to follow her as she walked up the steps.

She opened the door and held it open for me, motioning me to follow her into the small kitchen where her husband was slicing red meat. He turned his head, and then had a certain expression before he dropped his dripping red knife on the cutting board and gave me a low bow. “Hello,” I gingerly said, and half waved my hand at him.

“My husband, Kevin,” the waitress introduced.

“Nǐ hǎo.”

“I’m sorry I only speak English.”

He nodded his head at me in understanding and offered me a kind smile. “Give this to him,” the waitress called out, after she came out of an open doorway. “The one that marked you. He will like this.”

“What is it?”

“Best Chinese tea,” she replied, and placed it into my hand. “You try it too.”

“Okay, I will.” The tin was silver steel, nothing out of the ordinary. I was tempted to open it, but she stopped me.

“No, not here,” she instructed me. “Open it with him.”

“Why?”

“Good luck,” Kevin piped up, his voice heavily thickened by his accent. “We bring him good luck.”

The waitress patted me on my upper back and suggested, “And you too. You need luck.”

“Thank you,” I said in the softest tones, now hugging the tin close to my chest.

“Go to friend,” the waitress suggested. “They will worry.”

I did as I was told, and walked out the room, surprised to feel the strong connection I had with the two of them. _Strange,_ I thought, as I felt something depleting inside of me the moment I saw my friends again tucked away in the corner of the room. _They are not like you, I see you are different,_ rang through my ears as I made my way to my seat. _Perhaps, the waitress was right,_ I noted, once I sat down and felt the weight of their heavy stares. _Perhaps, I don’t belong with them after all._

 _“What the hell is that?”_ Julia shot out, pointing at the silver tin still tucked away against my chest.

“Tea.”

“Speaking of tea, yours is getting cold,” Heather taunted, and reached over the table to pour the small tea pot. “So, is there a gift shop in here that we don’t know about?”

“No, the waitress wanted me to give it to someone.”

Heather purposely laid down the tea pot, her eyes locked on me with deliberation. “It’s for that man, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Strange?” Julia joked, and covered her mouth to suppress her laughter.

“That was a bad pun.”

Heather tapped her fingertips against the table, studying me and the silver can that I placed on the table beside my plate. “So, what does he do?”

“He’s a surgeon. Well, he was one.” _Now, he’s a sorcerer,_ I deliberated, but they didn’t need to know that.

“He must be loaded!” Julia yelled over the table and raised her hands at me, as if I would meet her high-five.

“Sansa, doesn’t care about that stuff,” Heather interjected, and shoved her friends shoulder playfully. “She takes the higher ground.”

I shifted my tea cup in front of me back and forth, deliberating how much I should reveal about Petyr. “He’s a consultant now,” I relayed. “He only takes on cases no one else can explain.”

“Why did he stop?”

“Bad car crash,” I murmured. “He can’t use his hands anymore.”

“And there goes his living,” Heather said lightly, a thing that made me look up with a tight lip. “It was just a joke.”

“It isn’t funny. Its sad.” I took a sip of the cold tea, thankful that it at least tasted as good as the waitress had said. “And its hard on him,” I realized. “Imagining dedicating your whole life to something, and then its suddenly gone.”

“Yeah, it must be tough,” Heather surmised. “But an empty stomach won’t make you feel much better about it. Choose something, Sansa, before we starve to death.”

I retrieved my menu I had tossed to the side earlier and scanned the short menu to find something that would quench my appetite.

* * *

Heather had suggested going somewhere else for dessert, and since that tingling sensation had left me, I was more than happy to comply. The three of us jumped back on the subway station and took the train to an Italian café that the three of us often frequented. Heather, being an Italian, was always keen to show us the best coffee spots in New York, and soon enough we were sitting down on an outdoor patio sipping on hot espresso and trying the flaky cannoli’s that were her favourite. Julia put down her phone after texting the guy she currently liked before she gave me a mischievous look. “So, how old is this guy anyways?”

“I’m not sure. It’s really hard to tell with Petyr.”

“Is he one of those guys that look younger than they actually are? You know, the pretty boys that you usually go for.”

“Oh, he is so not my type,” I chuckled. “He doesn’t fall into that mold at all.”

The two of them exchanged looks again, completely taken back by my answer. “Alright, what does he look like?” Heather asked, after she couldn’t hold back the question any longer.

“Like… Vincent Price,” I mused aloud. “The whole neatly trimmed goatee and tall, wiry stature.”

Julia made a face and blurted out, “He sounds old.”

“He is a bit…” I paused, wondering where I was going with this. “I think the greys on his temples make him look much older than he is.”

“So, his last name is Strange and he is old enough to be your dad,” Julia exclaimed. “No, Sansa! Please don’t go there.”

Heather leaned into the right side of her seat, taking on that counseling position that she loved so well. “You’re a pretty girl, Sansa. You don’t have to stoop so low.”

“I’m not!”

“Look! Will just take you out to a bar this Friday, and then-”

“I am not doing that,” I cut in. “Petyr is a really nice guy, I know I explained it badly but-”

“He sounds like a creep.”

“No, he really isn’t. I mean, he’s a bit odd at times…” I paused, realizing Petyr was odd most of the time, and that was before I encountered his doppelganger.

Heather laid a hand over my forearm, giving me that look that made me feel inferior. “I only want to see you with someone that deserves you. Joffrey was bad enough-”

“I’ve changed,” I challenged her. “I’m not like that anymore.”

“Alright.”

There was a tenseness in the air, even the bustling city streets just in front of us could not suppress the heated tension between us. The waiter came, noticing our sullen looks and offered to give us more cannoli’s on the house. “You three our lucky to be here,” he rapped out, once he took our empty cups from the table. “There was shooting down at the courthouse, and an explosion. The whole southside’s been blocked off for the rest of the day. It’s crazy! Never a dull day in New York, huh?”

My eyes elated as I remembered something from last night, and the picture of Petyr conferring with the young man in his Sanctum was suddenly brought to mind. _But they’ll kill him,_ I remembered the young man warned. _What if he was right? What if Captain America really is dead?_

“Who got shot?” I blurted out, taking the waitress by surprise.

“We don’t know yet, but the police are working on it. You know how it is, everything’s all hush, hush.” He balanced the tray in his hand and added, “I’ll bring you guys some fresh coffee as well. Enjoy the days ladies.”

“That was for you,” Heather spoke up, once the waiter was gone. “He knows I’m married, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off you.”

“It’s cause she’s a red head,” Julia jealously said, and tugged at the end of my hair in jest.

“He’s not…” I shook my head with dismay. “I don’t have time for this.”

 _I have to go to the Sanctum,_ I thought, as my hand dragged along the top of the silver tin. _I have to see Petyr._

“Don’t worry,” Heather relayed with a sly little wink. “He’s too short for you anyways, and we all know who you are thinking about just now.”

I blushed immensely under their knowing gaze and was glad when the waiter returned with our new cups of coffee and a plate of cannoli’s to share.

* * *

Julia and I were standing inside of the subway station, studying the map to see the best places to go to watch the fireworks. Heather had went home early, not wanting to stay away from her husband and two boys any longer. The single girls were left to their own devices, and so we leaned against the railing as we took the map apart. “I don’t like crowds,” Julia complained. “And I’m short so you always lose me.”

“And I’m tall, so I always find you,” I reminded her, and ignored the rest of her feeble excuses. “We have to be careful where we go. We left the bikes back at the park and it’s blocked off for the rest of the night, so are only options are walking and the subway. And you know how much I don’t like taking the subway at night.”

“At least no one will steal our bikes,” she assured me. “They’re too old and ugly looking.”

We stood in silence staring at the map again, both of our minds wandering off to different places. “So,” Julia said with carefulness, as if she was walking on thin ice. “If Joey and his friends are cool with us coming to the fireworks with them, will you tag along?”

“I don’t really like his friends. They’re-”

“Trouble,” she agreed. “But it’s worth it.”

“For you maybe, but I had enough drama this week to last me a lifetime.” _If only she knew half of it,_ I thought, and found my eyes darting to the subway station in Greenwich Village.

“If I went alone will you be okay?”

“So, your ditching me?”

“Well, he keeps asking me to join him so…”

“Friends before hoes.”

“It’s ‘Bros before hoes,’” she laughed, while she twirled the phone around her fingers. “And I believe you did that to me two nights in the row. I think this is karma.”

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to leave you hanging like that.”

“Give me a hug, Sansa,” she replied, and opened her arms wide for me. “I want you to go see your man, however, strange he is,” she teased. “And I’ll watch the fireworks with Joey.”

“And after that?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“We’ll see.” She gave me another hug, before she left me to take the train back to Little Italy. I exited the platform entirely, already knowing I needed the northbound subway to get to Greenwich Village. _I just can’t seem to stay away,_ I contemplated, as I held the silver tin closer to my chest, hoping that whatever was inside of it could lend me a bit of luck.


	2. Transparency

It was dark by the time I reached the front steps of the Sanctum; the sound of the rustling wind and distance fireworks was the sole thing I heard on this dark secluded street. I pulled off the hood to my sweater, feeling there was no need to cover myself up anymore before I knocked on the door. I swallowed hard when the door flew open and to my surprise it was Wong who stood in front of the open doorway. “Good evening, Miss. Sansa.”

“Just Sansa,” I reminded him. “Is Petyr around?”

“He is currently meditating. Should I tell him its important?”

“No, I just came to…” I lifted the silver tin that was tucked away under my arm and presented it to Wong. “Give him this, and to talk if he’s free.”

Wong blinked at the object before he opened the door wider and ushered me in. The front parlor was illuminated by the red light coming from the fireplace, and an elegant looking tray positioned in front of Petyr’s chair told me he was seated there not long ago. “I will take your sweater,” Wong relayed, and held out his hand for me to offer it to him.

“I won’t be here that long,” I assured him. “It’s already late anyways.”

“Then have a seat. The Doctor will be with you shortly.” He left me then, taking the stairs to go to the upper levels of the Sanctum. A strange hush fell over the room, with nothing but the soothing cracks from the fire. I stretched out my feet and plopped the silver tin on my lap, surveying the entire room with an inquisitive gaze. _It’s peaceful here,_ I realized, and let my head recline back until it fell at the back of the chair. I caught sight of my reflection from a far away looking glass and marveled at how comfortable I looked in his comfy chair. _I look quite at home, almost as if I belonged here._ A chilling thought that made my head jerk forward with a wide-eyed expression. _Where did that thought come from?_

“Sansa?” Wong asked, as he stood to the right of me with a queer expression. “You are to come with me?”

“Where are we going?”

“To the master’s loft,” he replied, once I stood next to his side. “I believe you went there once before.”

“I’m not sure,” I relayed, as we walked up the staircase. “I went into so many rooms.”

“The loft is where he studies mystic arts,” he explained. “And it is where the most valuable artifacts are kept. A sacred place, one that I am surprised he is so willing to show you.”

“Well, I never asked for it.”

“No,” he said in a low tenor. “And that is what worries me.”

We took two steps up the staircase at a time, it appeared Wong was anxious to get rid of me. There was a coldness to his movements and empty stares, as though he did not trust me. _And why should he,_ I thought, as he quickly took the lead again. I found a certain part of a hall familiar, and when he instructed me to take a narrow staircase I could have sworn I had seen this place before. “You will find him inside,” Wong said from behind, and it wasn’t until I heard his quiet, retreating steps echo down the staircase that I knocked on the door. The loft door flung open and I stepped into the room to find Petyr floating in the air with candles all around him. He maintained this position when I walked into the room, careful not to step on the glowing red carpet that I noticed from the night before.

“So, you have come at last,” he drawled, his eyes quick to catch mine as I wandered across his room.

“You sound as though you were expecting me.”

“I had,” he quipped, while he turned his head to get a better look at me. “But I had some second thoughts…”

“That I wouldn’t come?”

“That your friends would change your mind.” He descended to the floor as light as a feather, before he rose to stand on his own two feet. “You look surprised.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly see you in the restaurant,” I blurted out. “Did you transform into a fly or something?”

“No, Sansa,” he gravely said, though there was a hint of a smile on those lips. He flapped out his cloak before he strode towards me, and I felt the sheer size of his height once he finally stood in front of me. “So, what have you come to tell me?” he asked, with a sudden playfulness.

“I came to give you this,” I replied, and handed him the silver tin.

“And what did you think of Chen?” he inquired, after he purposely brushed his fingers against mine.

“I liked her.”

“She liked you,” he rebutted, with a twisted smile.

“Why do I feel you know more than I do?”

“Because I usually do.” He twirled his fingers and a tray suddenly appeared from the corner of the room with a tea pot at the ready. “Should we have some?” he asked, and chose not to wait for my reply, for he was already preparing it with a single wave of his hand. “Have a seat,” he instructed, and after he watched me look around for a chair he silently pointed to the floor.

My feet were curled up comfortably, as I watched him pour out our teas and was grateful when he finally handed me the piping hot cup. “It will make you feel better,” he assured me, and nodded his head for me to drink it. There was a soothing feeling that came over me, one that let me breathe out a long exhale, as if a weight was suddenly removed from my shoulders. “You look better already,” he commented, and took a sip of his own tea so he would feel the same way.

“Petyr,” I softly said, after a few more sips. “Were you with me today?”

“With you?” he asked, while his eyebrows furrowed together.

“I don’t know. I just felt your presence, like you were always over my shoulder or something.”

“Not exactly,” he said over the rim of his cup. He lowered it to point his finger at my forehead. “I was there, more or less.”

“In my mind?”

“Yes.”

I lowered my cup deliberately, giving him a challenging stare to show how I wasn’t exactly pleased by that fact. “Sansa,” he breathed, and lowered the cup to the floor. “Have you ever thought of someone when they weren’t there? Like your parents for example, or a friend.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Now imagine you do the same thing with me…” he paused for emphasis, ignoring the flushness to my cheeks. “Imagine you think of me when I am away. Now, imagine a sort of bridge between our minds- strengthened each time your thoughts are directed towards me.” His trembling hands laid over his outer thighs as he sat cross-legged. “Sansa, you don’t have to imagine it because that bridge, or that psychic link is real.”

“Okay,” I said with some uneasiness. “And that is what happened today.”

“It happened when we first met, but it grows stronger every day.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t stop thinking about me.”

I looked down at my lap, picking at imaginary fluff on my jeans. _This is awkward,_ I thought, and then reached for my cup for a quick distraction. “There is nothing to be ashamed of, Sansa. These things happen everyday. Its just that… I am more aware of it than others.”

“Can it go both ways?”

“If you learn the ways of the mystic arts than you will sense it as well.”

I fidgeted with my cup again, swirling the last of the tea around the edges of the cup. “So, you know when I am thinking of you?”

“I can sense your thoughts, just as I can sense your feelings.”

“Feelings?” I gasped.

“You have heard of emphatics, haven’t you? Those who can pick up moods from others. I can do that, but my magic only enhances it to a higher level.”

“So, let me get this straight! You can basically read my thoughts and my feelings, but I can’t do that with you. How is this fair?”

“It isn’t about fairness, Sansa,” he laughed. “I just thought you should know.”

“So, I have to guard myself now.”

“No, I only do it if I wish too.”

“Then don’t!”

“I won’t,” he laughed again, and then took a hearty sip of his tea. “I can also use telepathy,” he explained. “Which means I can read your thoughts, but I can also plant things in there as well.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?” I grumbled. “And remind me to never get on your bad side.”

“I told you to go that Chinese restaurant because I knew what was coming." His red collar bent down low, scratching against his neck as he added, "I knew of the dangers looming beyond the shadows.”

“The shooting,” I noted. “The one just outside the courthouse today.”

“Oh, there is more than that,” he said in a dark voice. “That was just the beginning.”

“Do you know who got shot?”

He rose to his feet, his tall stature emphasized when I was still seated on the carpeted floor. He took my empty cup from my hand and laid it on the tray beside him. “It’s late,” he observed, while his eyes continued to avoid mine.

“Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t have come tonight… I’m sorry.”

“I was merely stating the obvious, Sansa.” His grey-green eyes locked onto my pale blue. “You are welcome to stay the night here.”

A warm sensation fell over me, but I knew this time it wasn’t Petyr who was doing it. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, trying to suppress the nagging thoughts that were running through my brain. _What’s the point? He can probably read them if he tried hard enough._

“It was only a suggestion.”

“I can take the taxi home.”

“I had thought of that, but it’s Independence Day.”

“Oh, yeah! They’ll be so busy tonight,” I moaned. “And it’s just after the fireworks too.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t get the chance to see it,” he said in a soothing voice, one that made me look up at him with wonder. “I will try and make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know,” he confided. “But I will.”

I got up from the ground and stood in front of him, offering him a warm smile that made the collar of his cloak perk up. “Well, am I sleeping with you or…”

“Your own quarters,” he quickly said. “It will be across from mine.”

“Alright,” I said with some level of defeat. “Well, I’d like to go to bed now if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” He connected his fingers together, and the next thing I knew I was standing inside of a dimly lit chamber room, with nothing but the moonlight to show the white covers of my bed. “I hope it is to your satisfaction,” Petyr piped up from the other side of the bed, he was so hidden in darkness I didn’t even notice him.

“Yeah, it should be fine.”

He went around the bed at a slow pace, his cloak flapping behind him as it fluttered from the breeze from my open window. I bit down at my lip as he approached me, knowing fully well that he knew everything that was going on in my mind. He stopped just ahead of me, letting the moonlight shine upon his pale face. “Thank you for coming here,” he said in a low voice, one that caught me off guard again.

“Thank you for letting me in,” I laughed, but it sounded strange in the awkward silence.

“If you don’t mind…” he paused, letting his eyes fall all over my face. “I should like to stay here tonight with you.”

“What?”

“To make sure no harm comes to you… physically or psychologically. I have put enough charms around your bedroom but still…” he paused, and lightly laid his shaky hand over my shoulder. “You might have trouble sleeping here for the first night.”

“The first?” I echoed. _Why is he so sure I’ll do it again?_

“Yes,” he answered me, intent on ignoring my question. “Is that alright with you?”

“Are you- are you just going to watch me fall asleep?”

“Yes.”

“That’s just weird.”

“It is.”

“Sure, whatever,” I sighed, and shrugged my shoulders as I walked away from him. I tore out my hair tie before I plopped into the center of the bed, deciding to ignore his presence. _This is just weird,_ I thought, as I heard his light breathing near the edge of my bed _. Is he really just going to stay there all night?_ I shut my eyes, but I heard him chanting something under his breath and that was enough for me to sit up on the bed. “I can’t do this! Either you are in the bed, or you are out of the room.”

“Sansa?”

“It’s just too weird, even for you.”

“I want to protect you.”

“Then get in bed,” I ordered, and pushed the sheets down for him to get in. He stood silent for a moment before his cloaked removed itself from his shoulders and floated towards the edge of the bed. I watched it drift to the foot of the bed and travel upwards until it was on the side that Petyr was currently climbing into. “Your security blanket?”

“My protection,” he muttered. “I am most at risk when I am at sleep, which is why I don’t even bother sleeping anymore.”

“You’re just a bundle of nerves.”

“I’m _just_ the Sorcerer Supreme,” he arrogantly said. “And that makes me a target for this dimension, as well as the next.”

“Then you better have a good night’s rest,” I retorted, and slammed my body into the right side of the bed. I heard him shifting back and forth uncomfortably, anxious not to lean his body against my own. I rolled my eyes at him and turned my back to him, so I could look at the wall ahead of me instead. “And please, no more muttering. I want some sleep.”

“I casted enough spells. You should be fine.”

“Good.”

“Well, goodnight, Sansa.”

I rolled over to face him, unsure why he was using that particular tone of voice. “You sound displeased,” I observed. “Would you rather me awake?”

“I’d rather you sleep,” he rebutted, and shut his eyes at me.

“You’d rather something else, but your too afraid to say it.”

“You forget,” he murmured while his eyes were still closed. “That I am the one that can project ideas into other people’s minds. It is not the other way around.”

“Well, I know you still have that image from yesterday in your brain, so at least that is in my favour.”

“It’s still a no, Sansa.” He paused, and I saw a sly grin spread across his face. “And no, you won’t see me cave in by the end of the week.”

I let out a sharp gasp and rolled to the other side of the bed, desirous to end this conversation right there and then. “Goodnight, Sansa,” he sweetly said, before he rolled over to his side of the wall and pretended to sleep.


	3. Powerless

The soft patter of rain could be heard against the glass window. I lifted my head and turned to the sound’s direction, remembering the window was open a crack. Petyr stirred in his bed as well, conscious of my thoughts he moved his fingers downwards and shut the window with a small swipe of his fingers.

“You make it look so easy,” I joked. He remained silent, so I sat up on the bed and rested my back against the headboard.  _I feel hot,_  I thought, once the stuffiness of the room could be felt on this scorching hot July night. I let out a long sigh, brushing my long red hair behind my back.

 _Just do it,_  I told myself, and slid my slouchy sweater off my shoulders until I was only in my thin red tank top.  _Let him think what he will._

Petyr shifted on his side of his bed, ever restless as he tucked himself amongst the endless layers of sheets on the bed. I watched him amusedly, before I let my tired eyes close on its own accord. A rustling sound promptly opened them, however, and I saw the Cloak of Levitation glide across the bed and nuzzle itself on my lap. I felt the rough fabric curiously, wondering why it was attempting to cuddle with me. “Petyr?” I hushed into the darkened room. “Your cloak.”

He made a grunting noise before he rolled over to face me. “What is it doing over there,” he groaned, and reached over to snatch it, but the cloak suddenly slid to the right and evaded Petyr’s grasp by a few inches.

“I don’t think it wants to be touched.”

“Stubborn little thing,” he uttered. “It has a mind of its own.”

I laughed at Petyr’s annoyed expression, before the cloak slid upward and covered the front of my shoulders and chest. “Is it telling me to go to sleep?”

“Maybe its trying to protect you?”

“From what?”

He shifted on the bed slightly, lifting his back off the mattress to get a better look at me. “It wants to protect you from  _me._ ”

I narrowed my eyes at him, confused by what he just said. “Is that a joke or…”

He swallowed hard as he continued to stare at me, and I noticed the cloak released its grip slightly. I brushed my fingers across the topside of the cloak, feeling the ribbed edges etched into the thick material.  _What is it trying to tell me,_  I thought, as I returned Petyr’s heated gaze.

Petyr slid over to my side of the bed, leaving a small gap between us. The cloak instantly lifted into the air and covered us both. “Is it trying to tell us something again?” I asked, as I tried to ignore the heated sensation down below. I could feel the heat radiating from Petyr's skin as well, that familiar scent- that odor that reminded me of what transpired in his bedroom only a day ago. I felt the tips of my fingers claw into Petyr’s coat, unconsciously wanting to dig my fingers into something instead.

“We should go to sleep,” Petyr said from the back of his throat, making it rich and hard as it reached my ears.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Try.”

“I won’t.”

Petyr eyes scanned my profile, instantly lowering it once I turned my head in his direction. He wore a thoughtful look now, half terrified by the things that were going on inside of his own mind. “I’ve had sex before… but it was with women I never cared about. I feel if I did it with you well…” He checked his faltering voice by clearing his throat. “It would be different.”

“Better,” I told him, and reached forward to press my hand atop of his.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said in a low tenor. “I think it would make it worse.”

A tense silence fell between us, and yet, I let my fingers trail along the deep scars etched into his skin. Petyr was still, silent, a sharp contrast to the raging storm that just started up outside the Sanctum.

“We shouldn’t do this,” Petyr breathed, after he lowered his head to his chest. “This isn’t right.”

“Then go.”

He turned to look at me- really look at me. Those silvery eyes flickered between my eyes and lips at a frightening speed and before I knew it he planted his lips against mine. I was so surprised I didn’t know what to do, but Petyr quickly took the lead and rubbed his deft hands along the side of my face. I felt his fingers dig into the back of my head, rubbing around the outside of my ear until it leveled with the side of my temple. He kissed me again, but it was harder this time, the kind that made my hands roll over his large shoulders and cascade down his fearsome back. The cloak flew away from us the minute Petyr leveled me to the bed, and I let out a happy sound once I felt his nails dig into the side of my waist.

 _Finally,_  I thought, after he kissed me without regard. His former thoughts were forgotten once his hands got lost in my thick mound of hair, his face firmly pressed against mine as he leaned in for more. “I hate that I can read your thoughts,” he whispered against the side of my cheek. “I hate that I can feel what you feel.”

“And what is that?” I said in a husky voice.

“Desire,” he said after his wet lips smeared my soft cheeks.

“You don’t need to read my thoughts to know that,” I told him, as my hand slinked down to the bulge in his pants. He let out a panted grasp once he felt my hand wrap around it, moving upward the second I gave it a squeeze. He grunted in agony, as his own resolve was quickly breaking away. Those lips swooped down to cement itself to mine, and just at that moment we heard a ding coming from the other side of the room. He paused for a second, looking behind him with concern, but I laid my hands on both sides of his silver temples and whispered, “It was just my phone.”

“Oh.”

The chime went off again, and Petyr looked away from me to gaze out the rain covered window and then behind him at the backpack that subtly let out another chime from within. “Its nothing,” I assured him, and pulled his head closer to mine. “Nothing at all.”

“Maybe you should check it… just in case.”

I sighed in front of him, and then wriggled out of his arms to go investigate the matter for myself. The cloak flew past me as I went to the other side of the room, but I payed no attention to it since my mind was precoccupied with other matters.  _Who the hell is texting me,_  I angrily thought,  _this better be worth getting out of bed._

My cellphone showed me a short text message from Julia asking where the hell I was at this time of night.

_I’m at Petyr’s place._

Julia immediately texted me back:  _Yeah, girl! Get it!_

_I’ll tell you about it tomorrow ;)_

I shut my phone off so there would be no more interruptions and dropped it into the front pocket of my backpack.  _Now, where were we,_  I thought, as I turned around to see Petyr sitting up in bed watching me _._  I shot him a lecherous grin, probably one too eager for both our sakes.

A small smile cracked across Petyr’s face, knowing what was coming next. I took off my tank top in front of him and sashayed towards his bed, giving him a show before the real performance started. Petyr lifted the covers for me to come into bed, his eyes so filled with desire they almost looked black. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and fell into bed with him. He licked his bottom lip while his mouth was open, trying to hold back the demon that was raging inside of him. “Sansa,” he wheezed, a sound coming from deep inside of him. “I think you should know that this probably isn't a good idea.”

His cloak flapped in disagreement behind him, as it rested behind his head like a pillow.

“After the crash I tried to surround myself with things to make me feel better, to lessen the pain that I experienced from my hand.. and my ego. I drank… a lot.” He licked his bottom lip again, realizing just how close our faces was. “I was an alcoholic, Sansa. And when I wasn’t drinking myself sick I used what’s left of the money I had to pay for whores. What I’m trying to say is…” he inched my head away from him slightly. “After I entered the mystical training at Kamar-Taj I gave up my old ways. I’ve abstained from both, because I knew it would lead me down the wrong path. I must stay focused on my training…” he halted once my hand gently stroked the silver streak of hair at the side of his temple. He blinked long and hard, tightening the lines around his face with evident strain. “I can’t give into my fleshly desires, at least the ones that I have left.”

“So, your saying is this will be a distraction?”

“This could destroy me.”

“I disagree.”

“Sansa, do you have any idea the power I have?” He watched me shake my head in answer, ignoring the fact that my hair was now tumbling down to the sides of his face. “An entire dimension, maybe even the universe depends on me. And I can’t get… distracted.”

Petyr moved me a little further from him, until I was sitting on the tops of his thighs. He looked at me with anguish, clearly wanting me, but also wanting to adhere to his rigid standards.

“What if we just do it this one time?”

“Hmmm,” he moaned, and strocked the pointy edges of his beard. “If only.”

“You think we couldn’t stop?"

“Maybe you, but I don’t think I could.”

“Oh, really?” I asked with intrigue, and found I was already sliding up his thighs to be closer to his chest.

“I was addicted to alcohol and sex for a reason.” He dragged his hand over his mouth regrettably as he added, “I liked it… a lot.”

“You like me a lot too,” I taunted, and took his hand away from his face to interlace it with mine. “I don’t need mystic arts to tell me that.”

He sighed as he looked down at the small space between us; his jaw tightening by the second as he mind went round and round with a thousand ideas. Having sex with me was not one of them, however, for he placed his hands on my hips and slowly dragged me away.

“I already have enough weaknesses. I don’t need you to be one of them.”

“I am not a weakness, Petyr,” I replied, before I dragged a single finger down his sharp cheekbone. “I can be your strength.” He didn’t have time to reply because I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a long, heated kiss. I laid my entire body upon him, and found his lips forming into a reluctant smile as I gave him more tantializing kisses. His trembling hands found a way to my waist, dragging the tips of his fingers upwards with remorse. “Show me that beast in bed,” I told him, after I inched my face away.

He licked the top of his lip hungrily before he swooped upwards for more.  _There he is_ , I thought, as his open-mouthed kisses reminded me of his doppelganger from the day before. He suddenly rolled us over, pinning me to the bed with his hands grasping the sides of my wrist over my head.  _Déjà vu._

His face glowed slightly with a golden hue, like sparks emitting from his face in an uncanny manner. “Petyr,” I said with concern and cupped the sides of his cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

“It drains me,” Petyr mumbled under his breath.

“Drains?”

He kissed me in reply, not wanting to answer my question. His hands grabbed at my bra strap and wrestled it off my shoulders. His large hand was hot as it seized my shoulder, pushing me down into the bed more so I wouldn’t go away. His breath was strangely hot as he hovered over my cheek, and then he unexpectedly let his tongue drag along the side of my face, making me shiver with surprise.

 _Fuck,_  I thought, as he moved back a little to lick the side of my cheek again.  _I was not expecting this. He’s acting nothing like his doppelganger?_

Petyr must have sensed his thought, for he drawled, “He’s not as good as I.”

“Fuck,” I voiced aloud, and felt my spine tremble more as his lips hovered mine. He placed his teeth over my bottom lip, pressing it firmly before he pulled it out of place. It smacked back in place and he followed it with eager lips, smooching it slowly, like a man who had all the time in the world. His grip around my wrist tightened, nails digging into my flesh as he hoisted it over my head further.

 _He’s going to make me tap out._  I felt so weak, so filled with uncontrollable desire that I feared I might explode. My arms trembled to get a hold of him, but he fiercely held it back and bent it till it criss-crossed over my head. “Petyr,” I breathed for one blessed second.

“Yes, sweetling,” he said, while the tip of his tongue rested on the center of my lips.

“I think this was a mistake,” I weakly said.

“Oh?”

“I don’t think I can handle this.”

He laughed into my ear, before he grabbed a hold of the corner of my ear with his teeth and nibbled it between his teeth. “Just tell me when you want to stop,” he said in a deep, husky voice. The sound alone made me shut the lids of my eyes with relish, amazed at the raspyiness of his accent that made his voice sound even sexier.

“I don’t think I want you too,” I confessed, and lifted my arms to enrapture him again.

“No, Sansa,” he chided into my ear. “Not yet.”

I whimpered into his mouth, making him open it louder to encapsulate the rest of my kiss-swollen lips.  _This isn’t fair,_  I thought,  _but when is life ever fair._

“Stay focused,” Petyr whispered. He moved his face away slightly. My eyes flickered back and forth as I wondered what he was doing next, curious by the look in his own eyes as he stared back at me. He moved his fingers together steadily, moving it towards his chest as he interlaced it together in a strange manner. He closed his eyes, and soon his navy-blue tunic disintegrated from his chest, his necklace unattached itself and hovered over to the night stand, his Cloak of Levitation soon followed, and soon he was sitting in front of me completely naked except for black boxers tightly nuzzled around his waist. He let out an agitated sigh once he broke his hands apart and then he stared down at me tiredly. “You really are draining me,” he said aloud, and looked at me with wonder.

I reached over to drag stray fingers across his firm chest, taking in the black crusted scar that ran down his entire chest. He watched me through half-closed lids, not wanting me to stop even though his body language said otherwise. I smiled at him suddenly, the kind that would often make the collar of his cloak pop up, but this time it was Petyr who arrested his hands in my own and placed it over the left side of his chest. I knew what he was silently trying to say, as if he wanted to convey his emotions through actions instead of words.

I leaned forward and kissed along his long neckline, feeling him stretch it out further so I could explore the sharp curve of his neck that led to his jawline. My hands released myself from his, so I could wrap it around the back of his neck, tenderly pressing the edges of my bottom lip against the stubbles of his chin. He let out a low moan, a reluctant sound after I dug my nails into the backs of his shoulder. We both fell into the bed together again, our limps quickly becoming entangled as we struggled for dominance. Petyr’s face started to glow again, flickering like fireworks across his pale complexion, even his eyes took on a gold semeblence. “Petyr,” I pleaded, and pushed him back slightly to take a better look. ‘Your face.”

“Ignore it.”

“But- but,” I stammered out, while his hands crept underneath the front of my bra. “I can’t.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Your eyes,” I pointed out, realizing how truly light in colour they had become.

He shut them instantly and finished tearing the bra strap off my slender frame. He leaned forward to kiss me again, but once our lips connected he suddenly winced in pain and moved away. Petyr let out an animilastic grunt before he abruptly rolled over to the other side of the bed.

“Petyr?” I asked, once he jumped out of it and staggered to the other end of the room in pain. He was covering his face now, hands trembling violently as he laid them over his eyes.

“I’m- I’m,” he uttered in a low voice. “I’m losing my powers.”

“What?” I exclaimed and stood up in the center of the bed before I sprinted across it and jumped on the ground. “What do you mean your  _losing_  your powers?”

“Your draining me,” he grumbled, as his fingers practically dug into the concave of his eye sockets.

“How?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied, after he made sure his back was facing me. “But I’m certain its you.”

“Petyr,” I pleaded, and rubbed my fingers along the center of his back. There was a scorching sound the second I touched him and Petyr flinched as though he was in pain.

“Please don’t,” Petyr murmured, and took cautious steps away from me.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”

The Cloak of Levitation crept across the nightstand and steadily flew towards Petyr.  _It must sense he is in_   _pain,_  I realized, as it wrapped itself around Petyr’s frame like a shock blanket.

“Sansa, I-” he paused once he turned around to face me, letting his scarred hands fall away from his eyes. “I think-” he stammered out, and opened his eyes carefully to reveal they were solid gold. “I think I should leave you now.”

“Okay?”

“I must figure out the cause of this,” he relayed. “I’m not fully human anymore, something in my molecular construct has changed from my overuse of magic, but still…”

“I should be able to touch you,” I finished for him.

“I must see Wong.” He blinked, and I could tell it was causing him pain.

“Can you see me?”

“Yes, I can see you,” he gravely replied. He looked down at the ground and let his shoulders hunch over mournfully before he made his way to the night stand. “I will have to leave you now,” he sighed, a thing that was evidently so hard for him for he snatched his enchanted necklace with anger. He let out a small whimper as it burned into the palm of his hand, but he threw it over his head regardless. “I’ll probably have to leave the normal way,” he realized, once nothing happened when he connected his fingers together. He went over to me and leaned forward for a good night kiss on the side of my cheek. “Good night, Sansa,” he hushed into my ear, and leaned away slightly to give me an ardent stare. “Try and get some sleep.”

“Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured me, though I could see some scepticism hidden away behind those golden eyes. “See you in the morning.”

“Yeah, for sure.”

He offered me a smile, although it seemed sad in the low lighting of our room. Petyr brushed a stray finger across my cheek, ignoring the searing sound that rippled across the tip of his finger as he let it fall away from my face. Our goodbyes were quiet, barely audible to both of our ears before he went out the door, and I was left to my own dreary thoughts until the morning sun should shine through my windows again.

* * *

A sky of grey was there to greet me in the morning. A pale wispy looking cloud stretched over the New York City horizon, a thing that made me rub my eyes with the back of my hand tiredly. _What a night._

My limps were sore when I got out of bed, a restless night left me haunted and unable to decide what to do next. _I should go home,_ I deliberated, and caught my sweater that was splayed out on the bedroom floor before I went over to my backpack. My cellphone was turning on while I was wrapping my sweater around my cold frame. Stifling a yawn, I looked at the series of text messages displayed across the screen.

Mom: _Hi Sansa, just making sure we are meeting up for lunch today? Love you._

Julia: _So, will I see you in the morning or is that a no. You have to tell me the deets!!!_

Heather: _I heard you went home with a man. OMG! Sansa, I know this is your first time honey. If you have any questions just give me a call. AARGGHHH!!! San-San is finally growing up ;)_

I rolled my eyes at the last one, deciding it was best to not text my friends back in the mood I was in. My mother’s text was rather important, so I assured her I would meet her at the restaurant by noon. Stuffing my phone into my back pocket of my pants, I threw the strap over my shoulder and turned to the door to leave.

The hallway was empty, but luckily for me I knew my way around the Sanctum and went down the wide camel coloured hallways until I reached the staircase. The front parlor was empty as well, only a ticking of a clock could be heard in the far distance. Pale grey light reflected off the armoury along the walls, shining a thin white light across the side of my face as I made my way down the stairs. I was near the bottom of the staircase when I heard a shuffling of feet in the kitchen and decided to say goodbye to whoever was in there.

“Hello, Wong,” I quietly said, after I cracked open the door. He was frantically working over two frying pans with a pot of water bubbling near the brim. Sweat was masking the front of his forehead as he looked at me, his long black ponytail flapping to the side from his sudden motion.

“Sansa, come in!” he entreated, before he turned back to the foul smelling breakfast. “I hoped you would be up soon.”

“Well, I was just coming to say good bye,” I said honestly, while I continued to lean against the half open door.

“You must sit first,” he protested, and pointed to a high chair that was just along the white marble table. “There is much to tell you.”

I took a seat on the dark wooden stool, letting my fingers drag along the wooden swirls carved into the sides of the leg. Wong was currently distracted with his pasta, or at least it looked like pasta, but with Wong cooking you never know. He reached over his head to reach into a cabinet, taking out a silver jar that closely resembled the one I brought to the Sanctum last night. He took out some green leaves and tossed it into the boiling water, making a damp earthy smell suddenly fill my senses. _It’s like I’m standing in the middle of_ _a forest,_ I thought with wonder, and leaned over the table to get a closer look.

“The leaves of Tama,” he explained. “You like the smell?”

“Yeah.”

“So, do I.” He picked up his spoon and began to stir the pasta sauce again, the dark colour looked almost sinister in the soft morning light. “I hope this will bring back the Doctor’s strength.”

“Is he still…” I paused, as I tried to think of the right word. “Powerless?”

“I’m afraid so.” He placed the spoon down on the kitchen table and put the sauce to simmer before he turned to me. “He is no longer in pain though. Thank the blessed Agamotto for that.”

“Could I see him?” I asked with some hesitation.

“No,” he said in a deep low tenor, his pale grey eyes looked at me with sudden anger. “If I had my way you would never see him again.”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“You put his life in danger,” he interrupted. “All _our_ lives! The entire universe depends on the Sorcerer Supreme.”

“I know, but…” I bit down on my lip, not sure what answer I intended to give him. “I only touched him."

“Touched,” he sneered. “I knew you would be his weakness.”

“I am not his weakness,” I argued. “And I’m tired of everyone saying that.”

“It would be different, of course, if…” 

“If?” I asked, noticing how quick he was to end the conversation by turning his back to me. “If what?”

“If you were like him,” he mused aloud over his shoulder. Wong set aside the boiling water and put it on an element that was currently turned off. “If you had the powers which he possessed.”

“If I was a wizard?”

“My master is _not_ a wizard,” he growled over his shoulder again. There was a brief silence when he reached over for a small bowl and poured the pale green water inside of it. He chanted something over his breath and a golden spark rested over the surface of the bowl before it sank into the water.

“What is that?”

“Something for him to inhale,” he answered me. “The smell will open his airways and allow him to absorb the magical spells. This Sanctum… every room… every wall contains magic, it was built upon it and will stay this way forever. My master will naturally gain his powers back overtime, but this…” he pointed at the flower printed porcelain bowl. “Will speed up the process. A full belly will hopefully do that as well.”

I stood out of my seat and went over to the oven to examine the contents more closely. “I really hurt him, didn’t I?” I asked, and before he could come up with a response I added, “I don’t understand what I did to Petyr- I just- I just…”

“You allowed him to give into his fleshly desires, a thing he can no longer do.”

“But why?”

He turned off the elements before he turned his head in my direction. “Because he is a sorcerer, Sansa, the greatest one on earth. And no matter how much the two of you want it, he can never be the man you want him to be. He is human… but he is more than that now.”

Wong lifted a tray on the right side of me and placed it on the marble table. “He has been to other worlds. Distant galaxies. He has been into the dark dimension… faced demons, sorcerers, gods.” Wong walked past me to open the fridge, ignoring the whispers coming out of the open doorway with a look of indifference. He reached inside of it to get a carton of homemade juice, the vibrant orange colour swirled around with dark red ribbons inside of it. “I suppose that has made him a god,” Wong deliberated, as he poured the thick liquid into a cup.

“That’s what you want to think,” I rebutted, with a stubbornness I hardly expected from myself.

“Perhaps,” he contemplated, and set the cup on the tray with careful deliberation. “But I have seen what he was, and I have now seen what he has become.”

“A god,” I sneered.

“A god,” he confirmed. “With a power you can hardly fathom.”

“And yet one touch ruins him,” I retorted, and raised up my hands in front of me to emphasis the matter.

“It was not your touch, Sansa,” he answered me, as he grabbed a set of tongues from a nearby drawer. “It was his.”

“But I-”

“He allowed you to touch him _that_ way,” he surmised, before he used the tongues to lift the thick strips of pasta that was a wide as my index finger. The pasta sauce soon followed, popping into the air in a dangerous manner that quickly made me take a few steps back.

 _It smells awful,_ I thought, as I covered my nose with my hands. Wong puckered his lips at me, evidently displeased by my lack of manners.

“If you will behave yourself, then you can accompany me to the master’s loft. Under no circumstances must you touch him, is that understood?”

“Yes.”

He grunted at me in reply and nodded his head to follow me out of the kitchen. We walked up the staircase in silence; Wong was quick to reject my assistance and used a few incantations to open a series of doors that were in our way.

The door was closed when we reached the loft, but we heard loud noise coming from inside of it, like a torrential wind beating against the four walls. “He is busy,” Wong noted, with half a smile. He whispered something in a foreign language to let the door swing open, and I immediately saw a darkened room with crystal white stars hovering overhead and the swirling universe before me. Petyr was in the middle of it all, eyes shut with his head inclined upwards as if he was breathing it in.

Wong nudged me on the shoulder to get my attention and motioned me to follow him into the room.

“Wong,” Petyr stated, while his eyes were still closed.

“Master,” Wong said with a slight bow. “Your breakfast is ready.”

Petyr remained in the air, his cloak lightly flapping as he hovered over the glowing red carpet. The eye of Agamotto shined brilliantly in the darkness, projecting a force that couldn’t be described in words. I stood in front of his desk, taking in every unknown planet gliding into view, watching Petyr’s right hand open and close in silent command as distance stars whizzed past him.

“What is he looking for?”

“Distant sources of power,” Wong whispered into my ear.

“Must he go so far to find them,” I joked, but Wong dead-pan expression made me bit my tongue.

Petyr pressed the palms of his hands together and the room immediately fell into darkness, only the green ray of light from his necklace could be seen. “I sense a visitor,” Petyr drawled in a deep voice.

“Sansa Stark,” Wong replied with a bit of hesitation.

Petyr turned around to face me, his eyes changing from silver to gold every few seconds. He winced at the sight of me, long lines carving into the sides of his face as he pressed his hand to the side of his temple. The Cloak of Levitation took on a defensive stance, perking up all the way as if it was watching me.

I swallowed hard, not sure while I felt afraid under his attentive gaze. “Wong, leave us,” Petyr rapped out suddenly, and strode to the other side of the room in search of something. Wong gave his master a low bow, but I noticed the lingering look he gave me as he went away. Petyr search was fruitless, so he went around the room and deliberately left a large gap as he walked past me to the table, igniting a few candles to illuminate the room in the process. “This will due,” he surmised, and lifted the cup to his face to drown the thick substance. In on swig he finished it all, and let out a relieved sigh as he set it down in the center of his table.

“I suppose you have some questions,” Petyr drawled out in a tense voice.

“You can say that.” He straightened his back with expectation, oblivious to the way his eyes shined a mixture of silver, bronze and gold as he continued to stare at me. “So, what happened last night?”

“I think it was a side effect.”

“Okay?”

“I’ve never had sexual relations since I became a sorcerer. Now, I’m thinking I might not be able to do it again.”

My tongue jabbed the inside of my cheek. _Well, this is awkward._ I looked away from him, not liking the changing colour in those darkened orbs. “So, did I hurt you? Will you get better, I mean?”

“In time, yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You say that too often,” he shot back. “And you don’t have to apologize for anything, believe me.”

There was a tenseness in the air, neither of us looking at the other. I tapped my finger against the table absent mindedly, trying to comprehend the strangeness of the situation, the irony of it all. _Just when I like a guy this has to happen._

“When I was training at Kamar-Taj, I used to have a friend say, ‘There is never a dull moment with Petyr Strange.’” He cracked a smile that made the lines around his face soften a little a bit. “Perhaps, what he said was true.”

I looked down at the hardwood floor, feeling the tenseness of the room was worsening the longer I stood there. “I think I should go,” I breathed, and finally lifted my head to look at him.

“I don’t want you too,” he confessed, after he licked the bottom of his lip and drew his top set of teeth down on it. “But I don’t think we have a choice.”

“You practically have the power of the universe in the palm of your hand. Is there nothing you can do?”

He interlaced his fingers together, setting it at the bottom of his stomach as he considered what I had to say. “There is…” he paused, biting down on his bottom lip more till he turned a light shade of pink. “A few options.”

“Okay?”

“I could let my powers diminish… leave me entirely.”

“But that put’s the universe at risk!”

“So, it does.”

“You can’t do that!” I shouted, surprised by the emotion that suddenly took over me. “You said you’re the Sorcerer Supreme, you said-”

“I know what I said,” he cut in. “But I know what I _want_ too.”

I took a step forward, wanting to reach out to him, but the golden light that flickered across his eyes changed my mind. _I can’t touch him,_ I had to remind myself, and let my hands fall back to my sides again.

“But we can’t always have what we want,” Petyr bellowed into the dark, silent room.

“No, we can’t.”

“And yet,” he uttered, as the red collar of his coat popped up. “There is still one more option.”

“And that is?”

“I build up enough strength to sustain the effort it takes to touch you.”

“Like eating enough carbs before a race?” I asked.

“Exactly.” He smiled at me now, for the first time this morning. “So, even if you take away my powers I won’t be completely broken.”

“Okay, that might work,” I contemplated aloud. “But it will still hurt you.”

“Yes, it will.”

I shook my head at him anxiously. “Then I don’t think its worth it. That’s the _last_ thing I want to do to you.”

“Then you must accept the third offer,” he stated in a commanding tone of voice. He took a step forward, until there was a small gap between him and I. “You must learn the mystic arts.”

“What?” I laughed. “How will that help?”

He rubbed the bottom of his chin as he tried to come up with a reasonable answer, the dark stubbles from his beard lifted as his scarred fingers rubbed along it. “Think of two magnets,” he deliberated. “Although they are opposite they come together naturally. You could say they are compatible. Now, imagine I am a magnet and you are this cup here…” he lifted it up and held it in front of me. “No matter how much I want the magnet to stay attached to this cup it will never stick. Why not?”

“Because its not made of metal.”

“Exactly! This cup is porcelain, and a favourite of Wong as I’ve been told.” He set the cup down on the table carefully, eyeing the pasta on the tray with a sudden look of hunger. He cleared his throat as he brought his mind back to the present moment. “So, you see where I am going with this?”

“You are saying that I need to have magical abilities, so I can touch you.”

“I am saying,” he drawled. “That I must make you my equal. Then I won’t be able to exert so much energy or lose it for that matter if I want to…” he paused and leaned forward to kiss me on the lips. “Do that,” he whispered, as his face hovered over mine. “Now, do you understand?”

I nodded my head at him as I watched golden light emit from his face briefly, the right side of his face winced from the sudden pain. “I need to eat,” he proposed, and moved his great chair back so he could take a seat. “I need energy, and rest, and-”

“Sounds like a grocery list,” I teased. He watched me sit at the edge of the table, liking the way my legs dangled beside him. “So, will it be difficult to train me?”

“Very.”

“Will it work? Or is this just a theory of yours.”

“A theory,” he answered me with a stuffed mouth. “I’ll have Wong take a look in our library just to make sure.”

“Couldn’t you just cast a spell on me?” I joked, and instantly regretted it when he had an inexplicable look in his eyes.

“I’ll look into it,” he said with a slight nod of his head, before he dug his fork into the sputtering pasta again.

“You’re making me lose my appetite.”

“I’ll get Wong to make you something.”

“No, I should get going.” I pulled the backpack over my shoulder more to show him I was already ready to leave. “I have to meet up with my mother today. We’re going for lunch."

“That sounds nice,” he said in between bites.

“Yeah, I haven’t seen her in a while. I’ve been so busy, you know.” He nodded his head in understanding, so I continued with my rambling. “I have classes in the morning. The creative writing ones, I told you about that right?”

“You did.”

“And then I teach dance in the evenings.”

“You can dance?”

“I can write, sing, dance and act.”

“Then New York is the place for you,” he said with a beaming smile.

“Yeah, I guess.” I shrugged my shoulders at him, surprised to feel how comfortable I was with this strange little man who was currently inhaling his breakfast. “What are you going to do today?”

“Gather my strength,” he replied, after he pushed his empty plate away. “And I expect a visitor soon.”

“Oh?”

“I saw it in a vision, accidentally of course, but I saw it all the same.”

“An old friend?”

“Not exactly.”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

He smirked at me, sending long lines around the corners of his mouth as he stared up at me. “Do you wish to know?”

“Only if your willing to tell.”

“It is someone who wants me to use my powers,” he deliberated. “Which is why I must gain my strength before night fall.”

“Why?”

“Because I have to help him break into something- or somewhere.”

My eyes glistened with expectation, unintentionally shifting myself closer to him. “Where?”

“To a place so sealed, so contained, that you would need an entire army to siege it. Fortunately, all my friend needs is a simple wave of a hand from me.”

“And you’ll do it?”

“Gladly.”

“Why?”

“Because he needs to see the truth. We all do, if we want to fight this war together.” Petyr saw the expectation in my eyes, but he shook his head at me in reply. “No, Sansa, I can’t tell you it. At least not now, but the next time you stop by…” he paused as he rose out of his seat. “You will see me in better spirits, and maybe I should tell you then.”

“Why not now?”

“Because I know you like a mystery, and besides…” He leaned forward to kiss me, despite the pain he would immediately encounter. “I like when you think of me when you’re away.”

His cloak flapped in the air as he made his way to the door, and Petyr made sure to let his eyes fall over me with ardent desire as I walked towards the open doorway where he stood. “I don’t want to go,” I confessed.

“I think you must.”

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” I complained. “Me not being able to touch you.”

“One day, you shall,” he promised me. “And I will show you worlds that you could never dream of, do you believe me?”

I answered him with a kiss on the cheek, and let my arms wrap around his solid frame one last time. “I do,” I breathed, and looked up at him lovingly.

Petyr held his breath as he stared down at me, his eyes solid gold from our contact, and yet it still retained some warmth. “Come back tomorrow, Sansa,” Petyr instructed. “Your lessons shall begin at two o’clock in the afternoon.”

“How did you know I would be free then?”

He offered me a sly smile, one that made me grip him a little tighter. “Because I know you so well, Sansa,” he responded with an openness I had not seen before.

I let my fingers drag along the silver streaks across his temples, marveling at the bright shade. “Is that so?” I playfully asked, aware of the huskiness in my voice.

“It is,” he responded in an equally dangerous tone.

“Well, then,” I quipped, realizing how close our faces truly were. “I’ll guess I will see you at two.”

He kissed me in reply, letting it last far longer than it should. His face glittered in golden light, making him look like some strange unearthly being. “I’ll see you then,” he promised me, before he let himself vanish before my very eyes.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is called "Strange Tales of Doctor Strange" for a reason lol. I hope it wasn't too off-putting for you. Below is some fun facts of where the ideas for this chapter came from and how much of it is canon. Enjoy!
> 
> Fun Facts:
> 
> \- @startrekfan creates amazing metas on Ao3 where she discusses the different aspects of Doctor Strange in accordance to the comics. One of her latest metas "What would be the problems in a relationship with Doctor Strange?" helped me come up with the difficulties Petyr and Sansa would face early on in their relationship. This includes his past problems with alcohol, unhealthy spending problems, emotional instability and his need to gratify his desires through alcohol and sex.  
> \- Doctor Strange doesn't only get his magical powers from the Vishanti. @startrekfan has another great meta discussing that issue, and the lack of addressement in the most recent comics. The article "Doctor Strange's power and weapons in the recent comics contradictions in the character approach," explains Strange's sources of power in depth.At the end of this chapter you could see Petyr searching for sources of power beyond the physical realm.  
> \- In one of @startrekfan meta's she mentions that Doctor Strange can drain someone's power with a kiss. Also, that he could potentially lose all of his powers by that same route. I haven't encountered that fact in any of the issues I have been reading yet, but considering how Strange can't consume everyday food like us mortal beings I thought he might encounter some difficulties in the bedroom as well.  
> \- The mysterious visitor will hopefully appear in the next chapter.  
> \- I look forward to seeing Petyr teaching his new pupil the powers of the mystic arts in the final chapter for series 2. Hope to see you then!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


	4. The Magician's Apprentice

My steps were brisk as I walked into the Michelin three-starred restaurant. I was late, and the last thing I needed was another scolding from my mother. A long line up was there to greet me the minute I opened the front door, and the hostess was a small speck in the crowded area in front of the door. _This_ _is going to take_ _forever_ , I thought, before I felt my phone vibrated inside of my purse. I pulled it out to find a message from my mother: "Where are you? Are you on your way?"

I peaked over the men’s shoulders, trying to find a familiar shade of red in the crowded dining room. I spotted my mother under a crystal chandelier, sipping on her first cup of wine as she waited for me.

“Name?” the hostess asked, once the group of men were taken to their seats.

“Stark."

“Oh, are you related to-”

“No,” I cut in, already knowing where that sentence was leading too. “It’s a common name.”

“Oh,” she mouthed. “I’m just a huge fan of Tony Stark.”

 _Aren’t we all,_ I thought, as I followed a server to the center table. My mother was quick to catch me, standing up immediately to give me a hug. She kissed me on my brow, tossing my hair a little with the sweetest affection. “I thought you weren’t going to come,” she said with a look of sadness. “You’re late.”

“I know.”

“You’re never late.”

“Something came up.” I took a seat opposite her, grateful for the glass of water that was already settled on the table. The menu was displayed in front of me, but now was not the time to sift through it. My mother laid her hand on top of mine, offering me a warm smile that lit up her features. “I’m sorry. I tried to get here as soon as I could,” I truthfully said, and hoped that would be enough to sway curious questions.

“We missed you,” she cooed, and patted my hand lightly. “Especially your sister.”

“I know. Did you guys have fun this weekend? You went up to Long Island, right?”

“Yes,” she sighed. She was about to roll her eyes but thought better of it. “Your father and I had an argument.”

“Again?”

“His job keeps taking him overseas, but I think he should stay at home. We only have you guys for a short time, and before he knows it you will all move out and have a family of your own.”

“Yeah, but that won’t be for a while,” I pointed out, as I scanned the menu. “At least for me.”

“You’ll find a nice young man, San.” She closed her eyes a little, betraying the tiredness she truly felt after a long weekend with the Mormonts. “Just give it time.”

I pointed at the menu, wanting to change the subject immediately. “What are you having?”

“Salmon,” she said with a pleased air, brushing her long red hair away from her face. “I have to stay young,” she mentioned, after she caught a stray grey hair in her loose tresses.

“Don’t we all,” I laughed, before I turned my attention to the menu again. I ordered the same as my mother, opting out of the house salad for a bowl of soup. It was unusually cold in this restaurant, and the dress I was currently wearing wasn’t enough to cut out the blast from the air conditioning vents. The room was filled when I finally looked up, mostly the business types who stopped here for a full-bellied meal. _Reds_ was a favourite spot for my mother, and though she wasn’t accustomed to drinking alcohol she made a rare exception at this place.

“I got us a bottle,” she pointed out, and pointed at the vintage wine. “It’s a good thing we don’t have to drive.”

“No, but I have to get home in time to change. I have to teach-”

“Dance. Yes, I remember,” she affectionately said, and gave me a proud smile. “And its going well?”

“Yeah, I’m teaching different age groups now. They start from four years old all the way up to sixteen.”

“Sixteen!”

“Yeah, one of the instructors injured their leg, so now I’m taking up more shifts. Its nice, you know. Extra cash.”

“If you need any money don’t hesitate to ask your father.”

“I know.” I lifted the menu into the air and placed it at the end of the table, so the waiter would know we were ready. “But I like to be independent.”

“Yes, you were always like that. A bit of a lone wolf at times, but-”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” I interrupted. “I just want to be an able woman, that’s all.”

“An able woman,” my mother said with a sly smile, making small creases fold around the sides of her eyes. “Well, I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“And don’t let your father get you down,” she chided. “I know he can be hard on you sometimes, but he only wants what’s best for you.”

“I know, but I’ve changed,” I reminded her, already knowing where he thoughts were turning too. _Joffrey was a mistake, and they’ll never let it go._

“I meant your career, honey. That nonsense with Joffrey is past us now.” She offered me a small smile as she added, "My daughter deserves the best." 

The waitress came over to take our orders, and anything she was sbout to add was forgotten once the waiter pointed out the specials for the day.

* * *

Half drunk, my mother was teetering on the edge of the sidewalk waving for a cab. My arm was tightly intertwined in her own, steadying her as she ungracefully waved her hands in the air. “You can take the subway, you know,” I pointed out, after another taxi passed us by.

“Oh, my dear Sansa,” she said, and lowered her hand to pat me on my arm sweetly. “You know I don’t do that anymore.”

“Yes, but if we stand out here any longer we’ll catch a cold.” There was a wind tunnel between the two towers on either side of us, blowing a chilling wind from the water only a few blocks away. “Maybe we should walk to a busier area,” I suggested, and pointed to a congested intersection not to far away.

“Sure,” she said with a lazy smile, and leaned into me as we strode down the half-empty sidewalk. “How’s Julia?” she suddenly asked. “I’ve never really asked about your weekend?”

“She’s fine,” I lied, not entirely sure how my best friend was, since I haven't really spoken to her since last night. “We were busy.”

“I’m happy you weren’t near the explosion.”

“No, we left just an hour before it went off. I feel sorry for those poor people that got caught in the blast though.”

“Yes, your father is angry. He has a friend who works in the courthouse, you know. Luckily, he wasn’t there that day.”

“Luckily,” I assented, and declined a few pleas from hot dog stand owners on either side of us with a small wave of the hand. We were almost at the busy intersection, the honking and the loud blares from a firetruck confirmed it. “Do you know what happened? Was it an act of terrorism?” 

“No, Sansa. Someone got killed.”

“Oh.”

“Steve Rogers, I believe.”

“Captain America?” I asked with surprise. “Who would want to do that?”

“Well, he was the leader of that rebel band.”

“They weren’t rebels! They just didn’t want to join the Registration Act, that's all." My eyebrows lowered over my icy blue eyes as I uttered, “And why should they?”

“Sansa, we have been through this before.”

“And I still think you and dad’s opinion is wrong,” I shot back, despite the scolding look my mother gave me. “But its like you said, we’ve been through this before.”

“Its for our own safety,” my mother quietly reminded me. “You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“But its sad that someone had to die, even if it was Steve Rogers.”

“Yeah,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m just wondering when it will all end?”

“When they enrol in the Registration Act,” she replied. “Only then are we safe.”

 _She may have a point,_ I thought, as I looked straight ahead of us to see the walking sign flash across the street. _But why do I have trouble believing her?_

The wind blew a stray newspaper in front of us, a New York Times edition with a picture of Iron Man on the front page. In big bold letter was the words “Join Us” and on the fully coloured page was a band of superhero’s supporting his cause. _He won the war,_ I mediated, _but the battle is far from over._ Captain’s America’s death may have ended the so called "Rebellion," but the resentment is still stirring beneath the surface. 

“You’re quiet,” my mother observed, and ran her fingers through my hair affectionately. “Something is bothering you.”

“I was just thinking,” I told her, and turned my head away.

“A boy?” she teased and tilted my head to face her.

“No, mom,” I answered her with a dead-pan expression. _At least, not this time._ “I just wish all of this fighting would stop. Its hard enough walking down the streets of New York without wondering if I’ll get hurt or even die. The amount of fighting we’ve seen over the last few months makes me wonder if..."

"If what, honey?"

"If one of us should fall victim to it.”

“We're safe, dear. The Civil War ended all that,” she rebutted. “Its over now."

“Is it?” I asked. “Or is this just the calm before the storm?”

“You mustn’t think of such things,” she exclaimed. “You’re young! Think of finishing school first, and then worry your pretty little head about that.” She stood at the edge of the sidewalk and waved for a taxi again. “Maybe your father was right,” she deliberated, as a taxi approached us. “Maybe you should have went into politics.”

“I’m not fake enough for that.”

“Perhaps, your right,” she said with a quick nod of the head. “And you care too much.”

“I do,” I answered her, and leaned in for a hug. “Bye, mom.”

“See you tonight,” she murmured. “I’ll have dinner set aside for you.”

“Thanks.”

“And don’t be late. You know how I worry,” she reminded me, and kissed me on the side of the cheek before she went into the yellow cab.

* * *

The subway was rammed when I was coming home from work. It swayed from side to side, the silvery coppery smell filled my senses as the train traveled down the greasy tracks. There was not enough room to look up, so I kept my head down, hoping to go ignored until I got to my required destination. _I always hated being out this late,_ I mused, these late hours could only bring me trouble. The subway stopped, and I looked up to see a crowd of young people boarding the train, all of them were dressed in red and white with the American flag hanging down a few of their shoulders. One of the teenagers held a handmade Captain America shield, while the other dressed as Bucky. I smiled at that, knowing exactly what their intentions were; a place of mourning was held just outside of the courthouse tonight and anyone who supported Steve Roger’s cause would be there. _They miss him,_ I mused, and pressed my backpack to my chest a little harder. There were a few boos from some rowdy people on the train, but the young people chose to ignore them. _The people are_ _divided,_ I realized, _and Captain America's death just made it worse._

“Suit up!” the tallest man yelled to his friends, and they gave each other a look before they strode through the open subway doors a few stops later.   

 _At least Steve Rogers has something to proud of,_ I mediated, as the group walked past the train tracks with determined steps. _At least he made a difference._

The next stop was mine, so I rose from my seat and passed a crowd of elderly ladies to make my way to the door. Normally, I would be scared when I walked through the open doors, knowing this part of the subway was often dark and isolated from everything else. This time, however, I felt safe- this time, I knew he was near. I looked around me as I went up the steep staircase, and found Petyr was nowhere in sight, and yet, I still sensed his presence. I reached out my hand for him to hold, but I felt nothing but the hot air from the streets of New York. _Strange,_ I thought, and stuffed my hands into my pant pockets, so I wouldn’t look like a fool.

I idly crossed the streets before a truck drove just in front of me, almost killing me in the process. "That son of a..." I bit down on my lip, and looked left and right before I continued to cross the street. Didn't he see the light was red, I grumbled to myself.  _He almost killed me!_

The truck was far away now, but I could still see the camera sitting on top of the vehicle. _A news truck, of course. I only hope they would have stopped to coverage my death._

I looked behind me once I found myself on the sidewalk again, seeing a few people under the streetlights, but nothing suspicious enough to alarm me. I pulled out my phone again to see it was past midnight, regretting the extra time I took to clean up the dance studio after one of my last students threw up all over the floor. _Just my luck,_ I thought, as I drew my dark hood over my head and tried to look invisible. It wasn’t until I turned the corner and saw the same news truck speed past my parents place that I saw the clouds folding over together and go pitch-black. A large lightening bolt streaked across the night sky and the ground trembled beneath my feet, making me tumble to the shaky ground. A red cape whizzed in the air, flying to the eye of the storm before a lightening bolt blasted with a piercing white light that nearly blinded my eyes. I covered it for a moment, until the light faded away and there I saw a large, floating figure with a silver hammer raised above his head. Another thing whizzed over my own head, and the red and golden armor told me it was Iron Man who was heading towards the god of thunder. A few other super enhanced heroes quickly followed, some flew high in the air while others sprinted across the chaotic streets to reach the destination. Someone brushed past me, nearly knocking me off my feet before I slammed into the brick wall just beside me. “Get inside!” she warned over her shoulder, before she drew out out a gun from her side pouch. 

I was about to take her advice when I heard the sound of a tower grumbling from the base just a few blocks ahead of me, the god of thunder was pushing Iron Man into the brick wall with a single hand while screaming out, "Where- is- Steve- Rogers?"

 _This doesn't look good,_ I thought, as I watched the tower slowly incline to the left, threatening to fall down at any moment. There was screaming everywhere now, clouds of soot and smoke filling the air as the two heroes continued to battle it out in the streets of New York. T _he people,_ I panicked, as I heard the bricks crumbling to the ground and watched the building steadily crash on its side. 

The cries grew louder, sounds of sirens flooded the air as firetrucks and police cars flew past me. _That could have been me,_ I realized, as I saw a family trying to carry their young girl out of the chaos. _That could have been my family instead!_

The roar of a missile blew off in the distance, which made me fall to the floor for the third time, and hopefully my last. A policeman jumped out of his car, heaivily armoured with a shield and a gas mask over his face. "Get inside!" he shrilled, and pointed at the door which just so happened to be the front door to my parent's loft. I hurriedly ran inside, ignoring the inquirying bellmen to run up the flight of stairs just next to the front desk. _This has to stop,_ I pondered, as I ran up the stairs two steps at a time. _This war needs to end._

“Petyr,” I said under my breath, after I tripped over a step and fell to the floor. I huddled in a corner against the wall and covered my face, trying to get those awful images out of my head. _There was so much pain, so much blood, and it was all for nothing!_

"Sansa," whispered a voice in the back of my head. I lowered my hands away from my eyes, looking around to see if Petyr was there. "Stay inside, and I promise you'll be safe."

"But those people," I wailed aloud. "Can't you do anything to stop them?"

“I must let the events play out on its own accord,” he answered me in barely a whisper. “And besides, I am too preoccupied right now.”

"What could possibly be more important than this?"

“Sneaking into a highly secured area."

“Oh, so you’re a criminal now?”

“Not exactly. Although not being registered with the U.S. Government does make me one.” I felt a sudden panic on his side and he quickly rapped out, “Got to go.”

After a lengthily silence I staggered to my feet, realizing he was not coming back again.

 _What the hell is going on?_   _Why is there still fighting even though everyone says the Civil War is over? And did I just have a conversation with Petyr even though he's probably on the other side of Manhattan?_  I scratched my head in confusion, feeling there was too much on my mind to make sense of it.

A dull sound of the action outside the apartment building echoed in the emergency stairwell. The danger was far from over, but Petyr assured me I was safe. I started to climb up the staircase again, knowing my mother would have a heart attack if I stayed out much longer.

She's  _going to kill_ _me,_ I mused. _And if she has her way, she’ll never let me out of the house again._

* * *

“So, your mom let you out the house, after all,” Petyr teased, as he made slow movements with his hands in the air. He looked like he was doing some sort of martial arts, pushing his hands in the air away from him before he brought it to his chest again. For some reason I was hardly phased by it, seeing a group of elderly Chinese ladies do the same movements outside a park near my house every Saturday morning.

I held up a bag of McDonalds as I walked into the center of his room, sipping on my coke as I took a seat on the only chair in his room. “Do you want some?” I asked, after I pulled out a bag of large fries.

“You shouldn’t be eating that,” he quipped, as he watched me from the corner of his eye.

“Your just jealous,” I teased, and lifted a piping hot fry in the air in front of him.

“You’ll regret that.”

“Why?”

“Because you are about to do some martial arts training,” he answered me, before he wiped away some sweat from his brow. “And that’s the last thing you need in your stomach.” He reached over my shoulder to retrieve a towel, spreading it across his face to soak up the beads of sweat rolling down his brow. He threw it over his shoulder and with a small smile ordered, “Get up, Sansa Stark.”

“But I’m hungry,” I complained, and showed him the heaps of fries on my lap to prove it.

“You had enough time to get something better,” he noted, as he laid his large hands over his hip. “I’ll have Wong prepare something for you.”

“Oh no,” I said through a stuffed mouth. “I’ve seen what’s inside your fridge.”

“Your lucky nothing bit you,” he said through the corner of his mouth, and lifted the towel off his shoulder to slap me teasingly on the shoulder. “Up!”

I grunted and moaned like a spoiled brat as I rose myself off the seat, placing the fries on the table for a second before Petyr made it disappear before my eyes. “Hey!” I whined, as a bottle of water appeared to replace it. “That cost me money.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“With rupees,” I jeered. He smacked me with the towel again, before he let his smile widen. “See what happens if you do that again.”

“I’m waiting,” he said with a slight bow. I lifted up my leg to kick him, but he quickly caught it with his hand and tossed me to the ground. “Good!” he yelled. “Your legs are your strongest parts of your body.”

“And the most attractive,” I teased, before I jabbed my leg at his calf. He saw this quick movement, however, and swiped it to the right to make me lose my balance and fall to the ground.

“Oh, I’m not to sure about that,” he muttered, before he raised his hands in a defensive position. “Try again, Sansa.”

“You’ll just keep knocking me down.”

“Try and try again, isn’t that what you say to your students.” I ran at him and gave him two quick punches, Petyr was fast enough to block each one before he took a step back. “Come on.”

My lips curled into a reluctant smile before I gave him a low blow in the stomach, one that he probably didn’t see coming for he let out a grunt before he knocked me to the floor. “You weren’t expecting that.”

“No, I never thought you were the kind of person to do that.”

“You shouldn’t make such assumptions,” I answered him, as I circled his towering figure. “I’m guessing its you who convinced me to put on my running outfit.”

“I thought you made up your mind on your own,” he relayed, with a mischievous look.

“I remember you weren’t able to touch this sport bra the last time. Let’s see if you’ve changed.” I ran and slid to the floor trying to kick his leg but he jumped in the air, taking my hand with me and pulling it over my shoulders till I was in pain. I tried to knock his hand away, but Petyr was too strong, so I got to my feet and elbowed him on the arm.

“Ouch,” he grunted, and made sure to twist my arm until I yelped in pain. “Do you yield?”

“Never!” I used my free hand to punch him in the chest, sending him to the floor before I went on top of him. He tried to push me off, but I straddled him successfully and raised his arms above his head. “You let me do that, didn’t you?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because your eyes are changing colours again?”

He blinked at me with a whimsical expression, not hiding the fact that they were flickering gold. “So, they are?”

“Get up.”

He chuckled at me, before he arrested my wrists and threw me to the ground with a loud thump, pinning me flat on the floor with a gleeful expression. I twisted my lip at him, trying to use my arms to knock him on the sides but he was so much stronger than me. I used my right leg to rear him on the side of his leg, but he quickly pinned that down as well. My lips curled into a smile before I inclined my face forward, kissing him without restraint. He submitted at first, but common sense got the better of him, and he swiftly rolled us across the floor until he was on top of me again. “Your cheating,” he pointed out.

“I’m using any line of defense I can come up with,” I retorted, and moved forward to kiss him again, but he moved his face away.

“You know it makes me weak,” he grunted, once my lip was firmly planted to his cheek. “I’d say that’s cheating.”

“Its clever.”

“Its wrong,” he shot back, and released his grip around my wrists to set me free. He crawled back to his feet with a defeated sigh, and went over to the desk to have a sip of my water.

“I thought that was for me,” I retaliated, and lifted up his towel to lightly smack him on his back.

“Careful, Sansa,” he drawled out in a deep, sonorous voice.

“Or what?” He grunted in reply, and took another long sip of my water. “You never answered my question, Petyr.”

“Or you’ll be lying flat on the floor,” he taunted, after he turned to face me.

“You never know, it might be the other way around.”

“Hardly,” he said with a roll of the eyes, and waved his hands in the air to bring a second water bottle for myself. “I think we are done fighting for today.”

“But I’m just getting started,” I shot out, and punched in the air in front of him to prove it. “See!”

“You need to go to the library. Wong will show you the necessary books to read.”

“Read?”

“Read,” he answered me without feeling, and placed my bottle in my open hand. “It is there that you will learn a variety of magical spells.”

“Okay?”

“But the first thing you must learn is that magic isn’t something that appears out of nowhere. It is a method of tapping into energies from the Multiverse. Once you have that energy you can refine it, tailor it, to create specific results.”

“Like moving this water bottle from one place to another.”

“Or speaking to you across New York without us actually being in the same room.”

“Yes, how do you do that?” I curiously asked, stepping into his space to demand an answer.

“Magic,” he quipped, and took a deliberate step away. “Now, are you ready to begin your studies, Sansa Stark.”

“If you insist.” The next thing I knew I was falling into Petyr’s library before I crashed against the floor with a loud groan. _Why does he have to do that,_ I thought, as I rubbed my lower back in pain.

A hand reached for mine to lift me off the floor, and there I saw the pale grey eyes of Wong studying my pained expression. “You are here, so soon,” he observed, and laid the book that was in his hand on top of the ladder. “I suppose we can begin.”

“Give me a second,” I grumbled, as I tried to straighten my back. “I had a nasty fall back there.”

“Oh, that was kindness,” Wong said with half a smile. “I've seen worse. Have a seat, Sansa.”

A seat suddenly appeared in front of me, so I hesitantly touched the back of the emerald green chair before I took a seat. The library was well lit with candles, the window wide open to let in the cool air on this peaceful summer’s day. Wong was watching me the whole time, curious as to why his Master took such an eager interest in me. “This belong to the Ancient One,” he relayed, after he placed a heavy leather book in my hand. “It is our history.”

“A history lesson,” I sighed, after I flipped the first page.

“It is important to know the history, so you better understand my Master’s ways.” A scenery shined before me that contained an entire galaxy with five colourful stones flying across the black expansiveness of space. “You will find it is more interactive than you expected,” he observed, before the book hovered in the air before me and I soon followed it. “Have a pleasant journey, Sansa,” he said, with a small wave of his hand and I gave him a frightened look before I fell inside a swirling tunnel that appeared from the open book.

“Wong, wait!” I cried, but it was too late I was already falling inside of the book and had a feeling I wouldn’t come out again anytime soon.

* * *

“Why have you come here?” a voice asked in the darkness, as five stones bleeded into the background and could be seen no more. I held my breath, amazed by the surroundings of a multiverse folding over and over again, combusting with great flames of light before it fell into a darkness once more. “Why are you here?”

“To learn magic.”

“Magic?” the voice asked, sounding elderly and frail as it came closer. “And why are you so eager to learn it?”

“So, I can be with him.”

“Him?”

“Petyr Strange.”

“Ah, my pupil,” a voice resounded in the eternal darkness, growing louder by the second. “He has succeeded far better than the others. Some have gone the wrong way… fell into the darkness, but Petyr has always stayed true to my teachings.” An orange light flushed against the dark expansiveness, flaring like tongues of fire until a city appeared. I was seeing it from a bird’s eye view, noticing the shanty tents and brown buildings atop of a hill. We zoomed in closer, falling like a bird dropping from the sky until we landed on the ground where a large temple presided, an iron bell sounded in alarm and I found myself on grey cobbled streets crusted over with a thin layer of snow. There was a line of monks in front of me, all dressed in brown cloths and I turned my head to see an elderly man standing in front of them with a great white beard and draped in a dark purple robe. One of the mocks caught my attention, the lightness of his skin and brightness of his eyes was easily recognizable. _Petyr,_ I thought, as he looked at his trembling hands with agitation, forcing it to create yellow sparks that would not hold.

“You see him,” a voice said from above. “This was him in his early days. Insecure, fragile and self-conscious when it came to his hands. And yet…” the voice grew louder and I turned to see the elderly man stand just behind me. “He had a will that was stronger than most. Determined, clever, sharp as a knife. I knew he would be great one day, but I never pictured him to grow even stronger than myself.”

The vision died away and it was only the three of us now, lost in a pitch-black area with only the elderly man aware of me. “There was a time when I was earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, but my time has ended. It is Petyr’s now, and soon he will look to another to take the title. Whether that will be you is the question, but you must understand the gravity of the situation.”

“I do.”

“You will be shown great power,” he stated. “And you must use it wisely. For the benefit of others, and not for yourself.” He placed his hand on the top of my shoulder and whispered, “Be weary of the Dark Dimension. Petyr has fought hard to pull himself away from it, but it will always hold a special appeal for him.” He began to move away from me, flying in the air as he uttered, “Work with him, Sansa, he will need you now. More than ever.”

There was a flash of light and I fell back into the emerald chair with Petyr staring back at me. He reached for my hands and helped me to my feet, amused at my dazed expression as I tried to shake away the fit of dizziness. “Sansa,” he said in a clear voice, and wrapped his arms around the back of my waist. I lazily smiled up at him, still trying to gain back my sanity. _How long was I in there,_ I thought, as I noticed the change of lighting in the room. _I feel hungry too,_ I thought, and only when I caught Petyr’s expression that I realized he was reading my mind.

“Really, food?” he teased, and bit the corner of his lip at me.

“You did take away my fries.”

“I did,” he assented, and leaned forward to kiss my brow. “Did you learn much?”

“I learned about you.”

“Oh, that’s good.” He lifted me off the floor to my annoyance and started to spin me around at a slow pace. _What is he doing now,_ I wondered, as I caught a mischievous look in his silvery green eyes.

“You know its almost time for you to leave,” Petyr remarked while he narrowed his eyes at me. “But that could be… remedied.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I have a time stone,” he said with a sharp curl of his lip. “Which means I can freeze time, or go back in the past, or the future, or-”

“What are you trying to tell me, Petyr?”

“Do you want to stay here a bit longer?”

“How much longer?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He rubbed his finger along the side of my temple, before he let it rest atop my ear. “As long as you want.”

I raised my eyebrow at him, sensing where his thoughts were turning too. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I thought you had enough training for today." He squinted his eyes at me with relish as he added, “I thought we can have a bit of fun.”

“I thought you don’t have time for that.”

“Maybe I do, or at least I want too now.”

“Am I distraction, Doctor Strange?”

He pursed his lips, trying to hide the fact that I made him smile. “Oh, I think your more than that now.” He kissed me on the side of my cheek as we lowered to the ground, wanting to do more but he knew that would only diminish his powers further. He led me out the room in good humour, and it wasn't until we were walking down the corridor that his normal attire faded away, and Petyr strode down the hall in a suit and bow-tie with his cloak disguised as navy-blue and red jacket. He waved his hand to let an umbrella appear in the palm of his hand, and shot me a menancing grin. “I heard it will rain tonight,” he said matter of factly, before he helped me down the staircase.

“What about me?” I pointed out and looked down at my short shorts and sweaty t-shirt.

“I can fix that,” he relayed, and waved his fingers yet again to put me in a royal blue dress. “Wait,” he said, and hovered his hand just over my chest to let a necklace appear in the palm of his hand. “I always liked Mockingbird’s,” he observed as he opened the silver chain and spread the necklace around my neck. He was unusually close as he opened the lock and let the hoop slip inside.

“Petyr,” I breathed, as he hovered just above my face. “I wish you could kiss me.”

“I know, sweetling,” he relayed. “One day, you will.”

I kissed him even though I shouldn’t have, and let my fingers graze his neatly trimmed hair. He submitted for a moment, liking the hunger I suddenly exhibited against his lips, but soon enough he was gently pushing me away. “Sansa, we can’t,” he pleaded, and let his hands fall away from me. “Come back tomorrow. Continue your training, maybe then…”

“Why is it a _maybe?_ ”

“Because I’m not entirely sure it will work.”

A pounding on the front door was suddenly heard, and Petyr took a step back to look at the door. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t usually get visitors at this hour,” he said with some level of concern. He skipped down the staircase without me, and jogged to the door before he opened it with slight hesitation.

“Doc,” a deep voice rang through the room, and a smack on the door was heard before a stranger entered into the front parlor. He sniffed the air, before he looked up and spotted me at the staircase. His muscles bulged out of his white tank top as he turned back to the door. “She’s with you?”

“Yes.”

“Alright,” he bellowed, and held open the door for a few more people to come into the room. An elderly man with a wheelchair hovered over the ground, before the wheels fell to the carpeted floor. He shook Petyr’s hand as though they were old friends, and made room for a few more people to pile into the room.

“You remember Quicksilver, I’m sure,” the elderly man said, and pointed his hand at a young man dressed in a silver leather jackets and black goggles over his long grey hair. “And of course, Matt Murdock.”

“Yes, we worked together last night,” Petyr answered, and shook the blind man’s hand. “Its been a long time, Quick,” Petyr muttered, as he shook the young man’s hand as well.

“We would only come here if it was absolutely necessary,” the elderly man explained, after the door shut behind him.

“Broad daylight, that’s a bit risky, isn’t it?”

“We need to talk,” the muscular man barked, and drew a chair across the floor with a loud scrape. “You need to tell them what we saw last night.”

“You were there! What do you need me to tell them for?”

“Because I need them to believe me.”

Quicksilver was walking around the area, eyeing the furniture with an impressed look. “Hey, Doc! Nice weapons.”

“It’s not _Doc,_ ” he groaned. “Its Doctor Strange, to you.”

Quicksilver caught sight of me, and suddenly appeared before my eyes. “How the hell did you do that?”

“I ran.”

“No, you didn’t!”

“Sansa!” Petyr called out and waved his hand to get my attention. “Just ignore him, he likes to show off.”

Without warning I was standing next to Petyr’s side, trying to retain my balance when he took a hold of me and leveled me to the ground. “What did you just do?” I yelled out.

“Rescued you,” he drawled. “And your welcome.”

“Replaced Wong?” the grizzly man asked, after he took a bite out of an apple he drew from his pant pocket. “He was a weird one.”

Petyr shook his head lightly, closing his eyes as if he was in prayer. “If I tell you what happened will you _leave?_ ”

“Yeah.”

“Fine. We broke into the secured base. Found Steve Rogers body and can confirm he is dead.”

“So?” the elderly man piped up, blinking at us with a worrisome expression. “Its true then? This isn’t all some kind of hoax?”

“Dead,” the large man bellowed. “And unlike me, he’s not coming back.”

“We ran into trouble on the way out," Matt piped up in a smooth voice. “They might of caught us on the camera.”

“You’re already on the list. So, it doesn’t matter anyways,” Petyr reasoned, and smacked Quicksilver’s boots that were currently resting on the coffee table with the edges of his cloak. “Off!”

“I’m comfortable.”

“You’ll be less comfortable in a moment if you don’t remove your boots.”

“Look at this pompous ass! What are you… a wizard.”

“Peter!” the elderly man shouted and gave him a stern look of warning.

“Why is there so many Peter’s,” I hushed, which earned me a warning look from my Petyr as well.

Quicksilver suddenly appeared at the front door, with the large man’s apple in hand. “They just are!” he shouted, before he took another bite of the apple. “Now, shouldn’t we get going, Professor?”

The aged Professor raised his wrinkled hand in the air for Petyr to shake again. “Thank you for helping us earlier.”

“It’s the least I can do,” he confessed, after he drew his scarred hand away from the elderly gentlemen.

“There’s a war at hand!” the Professor declared to the people in the room. “And I don’t intend to go down without a fight!”

“We’re getting more people on our side,” the large man added, after he rose himself out of the chair. “Soon we won’t have to hide anymore. I’ll take Stark down myself if I have too.”

Petyr leaned into the man to whisper, “Stark isn’t the true enemy here.”

“Your right! it’s the government."

“Not necessarily.”

The Professor raised both of his hands in the air, denoting a wisdom that was perceived even beyond his years. “What we must do is work together. I have hope for our future, but it will never happen if we continue to tear each other apart.” His eyes fell upon me curiously, and in the back of my head I heard: _We all have a part to play, even you Miss. Sansa Stark._

My eyes widened as I looked at him, and then darted towards Petyr to see if saw what the old man had done. He was oblivious to it, whispering something into Matt’s ear before he ushered them all out the door. I stood there, frozen in the spot, alarmed by the voice that continued to faintly whisper into my ear before Petyr returned to my side again. “Are you alright?”

“What- Who were they?”

He smiled at me, raising his hand to cup the side of my cheek as he replied, “Sansa, sweetling. They’re the X-men.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to make this four chapters, but I feel I can expand upon this storyline before I move on to "The Strange Tales of Doctor Strange" #3. For now everything is up in the air, including the superheroes that will appear in the next few chapters. One thing is for certain, there will be more adventures for Petyr and Sansa. Hope you are just excited as I am to see them in the Marvel Universe!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


	5. A Normal Life

A heavy mist rolled across the glass windows, blinding my view of the skyscrapers up ahead. I leaned back in my seat and took a sip of my homemade Chai tea, liking the exotic spices that woke me up in the morning. An abandoned book was beside me and a store bought croissant with a thin layer of cheese and ham. The morning was very quiet, nothing but the small drops of water against the window to keep me awake. 

A pleasant sigh escaped me as I relived the events of the night before; the bright burst of colour that filled the sky as we watched fireworks ignite over the New York skyline, the way Petyr’s time stone glimmered with a harsh green light as he continued to pull back the time.  _ All of this is for me, _ I thought, as we stood atop of a high rise building to watch the red and golden lighting fill the night sky. There was something grandeur about it all, the champagne we drank as we clink our crystal glasses with others, the way my blue dress nearly glided across the floor as I walked across the clear white tiles that showed the alarming drop beneath my feet. There was music that night too, a live band coming from the inner rooms of that illustrious high rise, the kind that made Petyr take my hand and guide me through a slow dance. “I told you that I would make it up to you,” he whispered into my ear, while his lips hovered over my cheek. 

“You didn’t have to do this.”

“But I wanted too,” he answered me in a clear voice, and swooped his hands downwards to caress my hips. “Funny. I can manipulate time to get what I want, but I still can’t have you.”

“It isn’t funny,” I breathed. “It’s cruel.”

“So, it is,” he replied, and pressed his lips softly to my cheek. “But we should get back.”

“Back where?”

“To the right timeline,” he laughed. “Let’s see. I believe you had to go into work before I snatched you off.”

“No, please don’t let me go back,” I begged, and clung to his shoulders a little harder. “I’m so happy here.”

“We can’t stay, Sansa, you know that. Independence Day is long gone, and besides we made our own story that day, remember?”

“The night I found out I’m your weakness,” I mumbled, and let go of him suddenly. 

“No, don’t say that,” he chided. “One day… whenever it will be, you will stand by me and be my equal. But you must keep up your training, which is why we  _ must _ go back.”

“Okay.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed our night,” he whispered, as he inclined his head forward. “You look so beautiful.”

I let him kiss me in reply, not even bothering to feign contrition. I wanted him- all of him, but no matter how much we wanted to give in to our desires we both had to break away. Petyr groaned under his breath as he went away from me. His feet clambered against the tiled floors as he made his way to the railing, leaning slightly over to look at the world around him. I went up behind him and wrapped my arms around the back of his frame, pressing my face into his firm back. “Petyr, what is the matter?”

“I’m not sure, sweetling. I’ve never felt this way before. Never wanted something so badly. You…” Petyr turned around to face me, leaning himself against the bannister that shielded him from an awful fate. He stretched his arms forward to press his hands against the sides of my shoulders, rubbing them profusely until I took a small step into his space. “How do you feel about me?”

“Feel?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve never felt this way with anyone. Never cared for anyone really… not like I do with you.”

“I feel the same way.”

“I don’t like being away from you, which is weird because we only met a few days ago.” I paused, and forced my gaze to fall away from him. “I must sound crazy.”

“No, you don’t,” he entreated, and pulled me into his chest. “And even if it were, I wouldn’t mind.”

“If you take me back to the regular timeline-”

“If?”

“When,” I corrected myself. “When will I see you again?”

“The following day, if you are free.”

“I’ll be free,” I assured him.  _ I’ll call in sick if I have too. _

“But when you come you have to keep up with your studies. No distractions!”

“I will.”

“And from now on Wong will be teaching you martial arts.”

“Why?” I asked with a long pout. “I like when you teach me.”

“You cheat,” he pointed out. “And, at least if you kiss Wong he won’t lose any powers.”

“I wouldn’t kiss Wong,” I said in disgust. 

“No, only me,” he relayed with a satisfied smile. He pecked my lips lightly before I felt a rush of air come over us in a circular motion, and pretty soon we were falling into a black void until we settled down on the front steps of the Sanctum. “Home sweet home,” Petyr said in a charming voice as he watched me recover myself. “And you have at least an hour until your class starts.”

“I’m not going.”

“You’re going,” he remonstrated with a sharp wave of his hand at the imposing looking door. It cracked open and he pushed his way through the door to leave me following his large footsteps from behind. The ticking of the clock in the front parlor reminded me of the time. I wasn’t ready to go back to a normal life. I wanted to stay here, and be with Petyr. He watched my lethargic strides across the room as he took his seat in his favourite chair, smiling whenever I let out a series of groans like a misbehaved child. This would inevitably happen of course, Petyr would show me a world of infinite possibilities and now the prospect of going back to a normal life seemed dim. “Sansa, what is the matter?” he piped up, after he tapped his right foot on the floor where I normally sat. 

“I don’t want a normal life- not anymore.”

“A normal life is the best life.”

“You once said that normallacy was boring.”

“I did,” he confessed. “But I know where your thoughts are turning too.”

“Then you’ll let me stay?”

“No, you must go back. Enjoy this freedom while it lasts.”

I sat at his feet and leaned the whole of my back against his solid legs. I felt his hands tangle itself in my hair, tossing it over the blades of my shoulder till it fell across the whole of my back. We sat like this for a while, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Petyr wrapped his large hands around my ribcage and began to pull me up. “I want you near me,” he rapped out, and I could tell by the softness of his eyes that his words were true. “If I was smart I would send you away,” he uttered. “If you only had a snippet of the power which I possess, the government would label you as a threat as well. You’d be on the run, Sansa, a danger to society.”

“Is that what you are?”

“I’m an unregistered super enhanced being. Even magic can be perceived by a threat by others-”

“They’re wrong!”

“They are,” Petyr agreed with a sad smile. “But they still see me as a danger, and if I train you in the mystic arts than-”

“I will be a threat to them too.”

“You would.”

I looked down at his scarred hands that were currently resting on my lap. They trembled ever so slightly, but I had grown accustomed to this strange occurance. “I still want to do it,” I told him, as I slipped my hand through his own. “No matter what the cost.”

“Are you sure?” he breathed with a certain level of care.

“I do.” I raised our hands to my chest as I added, “And I want to be with you.” 

He used his free hand to tilt my face to his own, before he endowed me with a starved kiss. His hands continued to wrap around the back of my neck to hold me in. Fighting back the pain he kissed me on the lips, the cheek, the closed lids of my eyes and I felt he would have went all over if he was allowed too. 

“Would you move in with me?” he asked suddenly, a thing that took the last of my breath away.

“Petyr, I haven’t known you that long yet. I think-”

“Yes, you’re right,” he cut in. “Forgive me.”

“No, its just that I’m not- not…”

“I understand,” he drawled in a deep tenor. 

“Why do you want me to move in?” I asked, as I cupped the side of his face lovingly.

“I can’t bear to be apart from you,” he breathed, as he looked downwards. 

“I feel the same.” I bit my lip at him as I tried to catch his eyes. “Let me think about it.”

“Yes, of course.”

“And you would have to meet my parents first.”

“Naturally.”

“And you would have to be normal.”

“Oh?” he said with a large smile. “I might find that difficult.”

“You would,” I laughed, and found my smile growing wider when he began to laugh with me.

_ That was a fun night, _ I thought, as I fell out of the trance from the night before. There was stirring in the living room now, a heavy tread that told me my father was awake to watch the seven o’clock news. The pipes behind the wall told me the shower was being used, probably by my brother Rickon who was getting ready for summer school.  _ Well, that’s what happens when you fail math,  _ I thought amusedly, and gathered my empty cup and plate to put it in the kitchen sink. Arya’s familiar tread came up behind me, and the familiar popping sound told me she had just let another pink bubble go from her lips. 

“I can’t hold it for long anymore,” she complained. She held up a stick of Double Bubble gum for me to try, but I silently declined her kind offer and leaned against the kitchen countertop instead. “So,” she said with a careless smug. “You may be able to hide stuff from mom but you can’t do that with me.”

“What do you mean? I haven’t done anything.”

“You went shopping! I saw that blue dress hanging in your closet.”

“You were snooping!”

“I needed something to wear tonight. Besides, where did you get all that money from?”

“I work,” I reminded her. “Something you should be doing.

Arya rolled her eyes at me, and then headed towards the fridge to find something to eat.  _ That was close, _ I thought, before I left the room to see what my father was doing in the living room. He was huddled amongst a range of pillows, squishing him on all three sides with an additional pillow on his lap. He looked tired from a long weekend in Long Island, but unlike my mother at least he enjoyed himself. “Sansa,” he said cheerfully, and lifted up a pillow for me to take a seat. “How are you?”

I suppressed a yawn before I answered him: “Tired.”

“Ah,” he said in understanding. “You just missed the news reporter that was standing on our street. That battle that happened two days ago is still being covered.”

“Well, a lot of people died that day,” I regrettably said. “Did they say why this even happened?”

“They might now.” He pointed his fingers to the screen and piped up, “Now, will you look who it is...”

Rickon ran into the room with a happy expression. “Iron Man!” he screamed, and ran around the room with his arms straight in the air like he was flying. 

_ If only he knew how much trouble Tony Stark is in, _ I contemplated, and reached for the controller to turn the volume up. 

“Mr. Stark!” a news reporter called out as he waved his microphone in front of his face. “Will you tell us anything about this god of lightning?”

“Thunder,” he corrected with half a roll of his eye. “Look, I understand the people’s concern. A lot of lives were lost that night, and unfortunately… Thor cannot be held accountable for his crimes. The Registration Act applies to us humans, but Thor… he isn’t even from this world.”

“But doesn’t that make him a threat?”

“What?” he exclaimed, as he pulled down his sunglasses. “No! Thor is on  _ our _ side. It was just a misunderstanding, that’s all. Captain America is dead, and a lot of people are having trouble comprehending that.”

“So, he was grieving?”

“Are you kidding me? The god of thunder does not grieve, at least I don’t picture him doing so. No, he just couldn’t believe that he is dead- but he is. And for the record, I saw Steve Rogers body to make sure of it.”

“But what about the people who died that night? How will Thor be held responsibility for the loss of over one hundred lives.”

“He will never be allowed back to Earth. I’ll make sure of it.”

“So, it will be your responsibility?”

“Yes! And to all those who lost their family and friends… you have my condolences.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

“Yup,” he said with a slight wave and walked down the stage with a flurry of flashing lights trailing him. 

Rickon moved away from the screen, bobbing up and down with excitement as his favourite superhero walked away from the standing platform. “Nooo!” He cried out to the screen. “Come back!”

“Shouldn’t you be going somewhere,” I said with bitterness.

“Iron Man is cool, and you know it!”

“Oh, yes an arrogant bastard that-”

“Language,” my father remonstrated. 

“That targets hundreds of super enhanced beings just because they refuse to join the Registration Act.”

“Sansa, enough!” my father barked.

“I’m sorry, but I am entitled to my opinions.”

“As long as you keep them to yourself, then yes.”  

“You’re wrong! All of you are wrong, and you just can’t admit it.”

“Sansa,” my father said in a tense voice.

“What makes them so different from you and I?” I asked. I stood to my feet, ignoring the heavy stares given by my father and little brother. “What if I was to become one? Or Arya? Or Bran?”

Bran stepped into the room that moment with a look of fear. “What about me?”

“What if you had super powers?” I turned to my father and asked, “Would you send him in? Let them take him to prison?”

“42 has been broken into,” my father reminded me.

“Yes, but that was only one prison designed by Stark. What if he builds another?”

“He won’t.”

“And how do you know?”

“Because we will ensure that everyone is registered under the act. Mutants, superheroes, any monster that wants to threaten the life of my family-”

“Not everyone is a monster,” I said in a tired voice. “You just want them to be.”

He stood up and showed his sheer size by puffing up his chest. “You may not agree with me, but this is  _ my _ house. My rules! And as long as you live here, you keep those opinions of yours to yourself.”

“Then maybe I won’t live here much longer,” I spat out, and shot him a loathing look before I strode away. I was angry, but not angry enough to not catch sight of that puzzling look on my Bran’s face as I walked away.

* * *

I bent down in front of the iron fence and laid a bouquet of flowers next to the line of pictures of lives lost from the most recent battle. There was a family crying to my far right, huddled together as they laid down a soft, brown teddy bear. They lost a child, a sister, and I felt there pain as I watched them. It wasn’t easy to hear their wailing, the soft murmuring of “Rona” as they trembled in each other’s arms. I was getting tired of this seeing this scenery over and over again, and it was about time I did something to change it. I stood to my feet suddenly, and charged to the nearest subway station that would take me to Greenwich Village.

_ I sense anger in you, _ a voice said in the back of my mind as I took a seat in the crowded subway. The voice was somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.  _ You must be careful with anger… revenge, _ the voice cautioned, and only then did I recognize the elderly man’s voice.  _ I lost a friend who went down that road, a long and dark one it became. You want to change the world, and so do I. _

A man took the empty seat beside me, breaking me out of that momentary trance. He was a young man, probably close to my own age. He turned to me with a blank expression, showing he was not under his own control when he uttered, “I see great potential in you, like I have seen in so many others. Petyr was right to choose you. Still, if you want to change the world you must better understand _ours_ first…”

The lights in the subway went out, and screams ran through the compartment as we suddenly came to a halt. I felt the man’s hand take a hold of my arm and lift me out of my seat, pushing me through the thick throng of people for what felt like ages until he pushed me into a wall at my back. The lights flickered back on suddenly, and at that moment the man took a hold of each sides of my arms and planted me in front of him. “Look around you!” he shouted behind my ear. “Nothing but  _ fear _ . That is what we feel everyday of our lives. My friend used to say they might as well plant a number on our forehead and call it a day. Mutants like us will never fit in, but you can. Be weary of what your heart desires, Sansa, for once you go down this road you may never come back.”

“I’m not afraid,” I said to the unknown man behind me.

“You should. I lost friends, pupils, people who were like family to me in this great war. Now, we are all running for our lives. It is only a matter of time until Stark builds a weapon to track the rest of us down. There are few places to hide… few places that are safe, all except one. Do you know where that is?”

The man released his grip around my arms, so I could turn around to face him. “No,” I answered him as the subway started to move again. 

“The very place you are heading.”

“The Sanctum?”

“That very one,” the man uttered under his breath, before he walked away from me in his trance and took another empty seat. I watched him slip out of it gradually, noticing the way he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands tiredly before he took out his phone to play with it. 

The subway started to shake from side to side again, forcing people to take a seat, but I remained standing and watched them all with a silent look of disbelief.

* * *

“Sansa?” Petyr said in surprise the moment he flew open the door. He ushered me in, taking away my soaking wet umbrella and urging me to zip down my coat so he could take that as well. Wong was just behind him with a stack of books in hand that just rested underneath his chin. “Come inside,” Petyr entreated, and led me closer to the fireplace that was just starting up. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“I skipped class,” I confessed, as I warmed my hands in the heat of the fire. 

“Yes, I can see that. You seem troubled.” I moved instinctively towards him and held him tightly, so he could embrace me in a comforting hug. It had been a long day, and it had only just begun. I heard Wong’s retreating steps outside of the parlor and only then did I look up to see the sentimental look in Petyr’s eyes. “My dear, Sansa, whatever is the matter?”

“I want this all to end,” I told him. “And I want to help you and your friends.”

“Help us with what, Sansa?”

“Avoid the Registration Act.”

“We can’t avoid the inevitable.”

“We can! If we all work together… mutants and heroes.”

“That would just create another war,” he said sadly, and took my hand to lead me to his favourite seat. “Sit here. I can tell you want to talk about it.”

“Why are you so sweet?” I asked, as he wrapped his arms around me and placed me on his lap.

“What happened, sweetling?” he asked softly. 

“I went to the memorial site near my house.”

“I see.”

“This has to end, Petyr.”

“Yes, it must.” He lifted up my chin with his finger and gave me a gentle kiss. I heard him let out a long breath as he rested his forehead against mine. We inhaled at the same time, both unison with one another as we let out the same breath. “Sansa,” he hushed. “I want to help you.”

I leaned my face forward and kissed him in reply, letting it last for longer than I should have been allowed. He took it gratefully, and only when he felt it was right did he break his lips away. “How?”

“Learn the mystic arts,” he explained. “And help me save as many people as we can. If there are heroes out there that want to stay underground than I think we should help them.”

I touched the side of his face as I answered him: “I agree.”

“Then your training starts now. Are you certain you want to do this?”

“Yes.”

“Visions of Valderous, give me strength,” he muttered. He offered me a small smile, and with his right hand urged me to slide off his lap. “To be a disciple of the mystic arts you must become familiar with the Book of Vishanti. It is believed that Vishanti was the first of our kind, the very first Sorcerer Supreme to protect earth. This title has been passed down over time, and now I hold the title until another should receive the honour.”

“Would I be the next one?”

“I don’t know, Sansa, but it is a great honour to assist me… let alone be my apprentice.”

A broad smile spread across my face, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to bring him closer. “I’m excited!”

“I am glad,” he laughed. “Now, are you ready?”

“I am.”

“Then let’s begin.”


	6. The Right Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa must face some challenges as she learn the mystic arts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Steve Ditko, the creator of Doctor Strange and Spiderman. Thank you for giving the Marvel Universe these awesome characters. May you rest in peace.
> 
> Steve Ditko (November 2, 1927- June 29, 2018)

“I don’t understand.”

Wong shook his head at me in dismay. The Book of Vishanti still laid open in my lap as I sat cross-legged on the floor; Wong’s hand was hovering over a small illustration of a man maintaining a magical shield. “What don’t you understand,” he complained, before he moved himself closer to me.

“You said these are all defensive spells.”

“Yes?”

“What about offensive ones?”

“Offensive?” he said in a curious voice. “My master has instructed me to teach you the defensive ones only.”

“Why?”

He laughed softly as he took the open book from my hands. “Why do you need offensive ones? Planning to attack someone?”

“I just- I just,” I stammered out, as he lifted himself from the floor with the heavy book in one hand. “I thought it would come in handy.”

“You are reading one of the most sacred texts of our time. It contains every counter-spell known to mystic arts.” He snapped the book shut and place it in my open hands. “Use it well.”

“I am,” I whimpered in a sad little voice. “But it's hard! Nothing happens whenever I utter the spells, and that's if I’m lucky enough to remember them.”

“You will not become a sorcerer overnight,” he scolded. “It takes time, and patience, and…”

“Willingness,” Petyr piped up loudly. He was standing in front of the open entrance way to the library, eyes shining slightly as he looked in my direction. “It's almost time for you to go home,” he noted. “You must be tired.”

“We’ve been at the same spell for hours with no success,” Wong explained. “I thought the Shield of Seraphim would be the easiest but…”

“I got nothing!” I shouted out, and stepped away from Wong to be at Petyr’s side. “Could you try and teach me?”

“Wong is an excellent instructor,” he said with a smug. “And besides, you will be more focused with him.”

 _That is true,_ I noted, already finding my fingers itching to reach out and touch him. He looked more cleaned up than usual: his hair combed back to show the full of his face, and his eyes seemed to be clearer, a fluid sheen of green and silver nestled around his darkened orbs as he stared back at me. He looked better, much better than I had seen him in days.

“My powers are returning to me,” he uttered, as if he could read my secret thoughts. “My body has been taking mystic energy from the environment around me for the past few hours.”

“And that’s why you were gone?”

“I was meditating,” he explained with half a smile. “It was not as half successful as it used to be.”

I wanted to ask him why that was the case when Wong stepped in between us with the large leather book in hand. “I think you should try,” he suggested, and held out the book before his master. “She might prove herself more useful with you.”

Petyr took the Book of Vishanti with both hands, caressing the torn binding in a protective manner as he stared down at it. “You may leave us Wong,” he stated with an air of authority. Petyr remained silent until he heard the library door close, and only then did he look up at me with a serious gaze. “Did you even try?”

“I did!”

“Really?”

“Honestly. I’m a slow learner… but I learn.”

“Then you will need more time,” he muttered, before he raised one hand in the air and closed his eyes to create a world around us. The air grew colder as I saw glass prisms connecting one by one, forming an isolated structure that slowly enclosed us. _We’re in a_ _room made of glass,_ I noted, as I took a step forward to lay the whole of my hand on the cold surface. I could see the world outside: the long brown ladder leaning against the towering bookshelf, the dimness of the sunlight that told me we were in the early hours of the afternoon. My reflection was visible as well, and I noticed the shadowy figure stalking its way towards me from behind.

“Sansa,” he said in a low tenor, which made me turn around to look at him. “Stay focused.”

“I am.”

The only question was, could he retain the same level of attention that he was demanding from me. He was hovering over me now, biting on the corner of his lip as he silently read my thoughts. “We should continue,” he muttered, and reached into a pocket at the side of his long blue cloak to retrieve something from the depths of it. “I want you to have this,” he uttered, as he dropped a bronze item into my open hand.

I closed my fingers atop of it, letting my fingers glide over the indecipherable engravings. “What is it?”

“A sling ring,” he answered me. “I want you to use it whenever you practise magic.’

“Okay.”

“I have one, just like yours,” he observed, and lowered his hand till it was leveled to my chest so I could see it. “I use it to create portals, or a mirror dimension like the one we are in now.”

I let him watch me as I pushed the cold metal over my three fingers, feeling the weight of it as I raised my hand in front of me. It had a strength to it, and I felt something rush through me for a moment before it died away. Petyr watched me with curiosity as I raised my hand in front of my face, catching the small details of circles and lines that transpired across the bronze metal. He patiently waited for me to look at him, before he began his lesson: “Now, are you ready to learn?”

“Yes.”

He grunted in good humour, before he waved his hand to bring the Book of Vishanti closer to him. “What do you know about this?”

“It's a book of magical spells,” I gibed.

“If that is all you know, then maybe you are not worthy to wield this magic yet.”

“Wong told me your master gave this book to you.”

“The Ancient One,” he said with a sober nod of his head. “It fell into his hands at a great cost.”

Petyr placed the heavy book into my hands and flicked his finger for the pages to turn at a rapid pace. He stopped it on the same page as before, the crude drawing of a man with a shield made me roll my eyes in frustration. “I can’t do it, Petyr.”

“You can, and you will,” he remonstrated. “”First of all, this isn’t a ‘book of magical spells,’ it has been created by powerful sorcerers, and each of them have added his or her own counter spell into the pages for the next one to learn. The book itself is enchanted…” he motioned his hand upward so the book could hover just over my head, spinning at a timely pace for us to watch it at leisure. “It can reflect evil spells, so if this should fall into the wrong hands it can never be destroyed. At the moment, I am the one who guards this book and adds whatever spells I feel should be included into this text. Now! This book contains every counter-spell known to mystic arts, but it is important to know that it is only _white_ magic.”

“White magic,” I cooed with excitement.

The book cascaded down into Petyr’s open hand, and he used his trembling hand this time to turn the pages slowly. “In life there is light and darkness. This balance is also seen in magic.” He handed me the book that was opened on that all to familiar page as he noted, “I find my sources of power through sources of light, but there are others that receive it from the _dark dimension_.”

“I have heard of that before,” I conceded, as my eyes started at the ugly drawing again.

“Yes, in your teachings with the Ancient One,” he mused aloud. “There will come a time when you will also be tempted by the dark dimension. You must stay clear of that path, Sansa, it will bring you nothing but pain.” He laid his open hand over my shoulder fondly, stroking the edges of his thumb across my bare shoulder. “I see great potential in you,” he breathed. “But there are others who will see it also.”

“Like that old man in the wheelchair,” I suggested. “He said the same thing to me earlier on today.”

“So, he speaks to you still,” Petyr chuckled with a playful smile. “Professor Xavier is a long-time friend. It’s not him I’m worried about.”

“Then who?” I asked, as I watched his hand slip away from me.

“One thing at a time, Sansa, now are you ready to cast your first spell?”

“Yes.”

The book hovered out of my hands and wandered away from us as Petyr took his place beside me with both of his hands in the air. “Just as you call on Vishanti or Faltine, so you may call on Seraphim as well.”

“So, its a person?”

“A person,” he laughed in good humour. “No, Sansa! They are a mystic entity.”

“Like a mystical being?”

“Exactly.”

“And why do I call on them?”

“Because that is how you get magic,” he chuckled, and leaned over me to stretch my arms forward. “I do not get magic from myself, and if I did it would be supremely limited. I must call on these sacred entities to receive the power to conduct these magical spells. Now! These beings live in the extradimensional realm, so you must _focus_ when you call upon these forces.”

“Alright.”

“The Seraphim can create shield of magical entities, and that is what my Shield of Seraphim is, Sansa, a force that is called upon to protect me from danger.”

“But why would they listen to me?” I asked suddenly, and dropped my hands in discouragement. “What’s so special about me?”

“I asked myself that exact same question once,” he relayed in a gentle tone of voice. “I was broken, a bum in a street that did even have enough money for a cab to get home. I lost everything, and yet I found my true sense of worth through magic. I believe you can find it too, Sansa, so close your eyes and just trust me.”

 _I’ll trust you,_ I thought, and shut my eyes to feel the force that was somehow within me. I felt Petyr lay his fingers around my forearm, raising it straight before he moved away from me.

“Keep your eyes closed,” he warned, as I heard the shuffling of his feet inside the glass prism. “Now open them,” He instructed and I saw a golden shield illuminating with hundreds of lines in a complex pattern that trembled in the air before him. Petyr moved his fists back, and the shield disintegrated into thin air. “I want you to try it now.”

“I can’t.”

“Try,” he hushed.

I closed my eyes and let out slow, shallow breaths. _Seraphim_ , I heard myself calling out, _help me._ There was nothing, only the silence of the mirror dimension and the faint breathing coming from the man in front of me. _I call upon the Shield of Seraphim to come to_ _my aid,_ I shouted inside my head, and felt a force rock from my wrists to the tips of my fingers and suddenly felt a power leave my body. I squinted my eyes open to see a large golden shield illuminating in front of me, making Petyr’s figure virtually indistinguishable. There was a low humming coming from the shield, the lines darting back and forth and glowing profusely as I raised it higher. _This is impossible,_ I thought, and the moment it crossed my mind the shield vanished.

“Nothing is impossible,” Petyr drawled with a serious gaze. “But if you do that again, the Seraphim may not come to your aid after all.”

“Petyr, I-”

He shook his head at me and walked to the other side of the glass prism. He reached in the air to pull the Book of Vishanti down, letting it hover in front of his eyes. “I can teach you these things, but you have to believe in them.”

“I do!”

“Then trust your instincts. You must not think with your head, Sansa, but your heart. Science, the basic laws of physics, all of these things are irrelevant when it comes to magic. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I droned, and looked down at my feet in dismay.

“Then stop this!” he shouted suddenly, before a flame of fire darted out of his open hand and was heading towards me. I had a split second to call upon Seraphim before the blaze of fire was smouldered under the golden shield I was projecting.

“You almost killed me!” I angrily said, once I lowered my shield to take a good look at him.

“Is that what you are going to say to your enemies,” he taunted, before he flew another beam of light in my direction. I had just seconds to raise it higher.

“Seraphim,” I mouthed, as I felt the shield weakening by the pressure Petyr was forcing onto me. The weight lightened for a moment, and I opened my eyes to find Petyr right in front of me before he swung an axe against my shield. “What the hell?” I cried, as I took a step back and bent forward to project the shield over the whole of my body.

“Protect yourself,” he warned, before he swung the metal axe against my crippling shield again. _Its weakening,_ I fretted, and closed my fist tighter to retain what little strength I had. The final swing shattered the shield entirely, and I backed away with terror as Petyr stalked his way before me.

“Petyr, stop,” I wailed, as I backed myself into a corner.

“Is that what you are going to tell your enemies,” he jibed, as he leaned the leather bindings of the axe over his shoulder.

 _I don’t know any other magical spells!_ My eyes darted towards the Book of Vishanti, but it was too far away for me to look at it. _Not like I will have any time anyways,_ I thought, as I heard Petyr’s footsteps pounding against the floor as he ran towards me. I ducked low to the ground and created a shield just before his large hands could reach me. Turning quickly, I left the back of me unguarded as I ran towards the enchanted book, and to my dismay I felt something wrap around me like a tightly knotted rope around my frame.

“I give you the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak,” Petyr proclaimed, as long spidery ribbons of red continued to fly from his hands and wrap themselves around me. I quickly lost my balance and fell to the floor, groaning as I felt the bright red bands grow tighter around my arms and waist. “Never leave your back unguarded,” he chided, as he stood over me. “And you must learn more spells than the Shield of Seraphim, if you wish to face your enemies full on.”

“I need that book,” I groaned into the carpeted floor.

“Yes, you do,” he agreed with me, and with a wave of his hands the red bands untied themselves from my body. Petyr bent forward to lift me off the floor, but I acted quickly enough to pull him to the ground and straddled myself on top of him with my golden shield pointing directly at his face. “Very good!” he praised, and for the first time that afternoon he smiled at me. “You’re learning.”

“Don’t try anything tricky,” I warned, and motioned the shield over his eyes to prove it.

“Then you should pay attention to my hands more,” he noted. “And my cloak.”

“Your cloak,” I wailed, realizing it flew off the moment I attacked Petyr. I turned my head to the side to see it hovering just behind me, and I knew this wasn’t going to end well.

“I’m sorry,” Petyr said with a slight shrug, before the cloak whisked forward and wrapped itself around me. _Not again,_ I thought, as I tried to fight back and found myself tumbling to the ground tightly knotted around by the thickened material.

“This isn’t fair,” I grumbled into the carpeted floor again, pushing my head forward so I wasn’t exactly breathing in the dusty floor every second.

“I applaud your effort,” he drawled in a raspy voice. I heard him take a seat in the only chair in the room, crossing his legs as he reached into his cloak to retrieve an apple. “It was very clever.”

“It would have worked, if I hadn’t forgotten your stupid cloak.”

Petyr tsked quietly under his breath as he shined the red apple across the front of his shirt. “Now, now, you know the Cloak has a name, and it is very sensitive.”

“Like you.”

“Like me,” he said with a happy smile. He took a large bite into his apple, munching away at it as he watched me roll back and forth across the carpeted floor trying to free myself. “You’re stubborn,” he observed, with a cheerful grin.

“Determined.”

“Then you will spend the rest of the night rocking back and forth across the floor. Should I free you?”

“Yes,” I moaned with some regret. “I thought the Cloak of Levitation has a will of its own.”

“It does, but it saw you were trying to attack me. I can only control it for so long,” he told me with a curious glimmer in his eyes. The mirror dimension shattered around us, dropping to the floor before it vanished into thin air. Petyr raised himself from the seat, and tossed the disgarded apple into a small portal he made for himself. His mouth still full, he lowered his hand in front of my face and motioned it slightly to order the Cloak of Levitation to release itself from me.

“Thanks,” I grudgingly said, as I rolled across the floor till my knees were facing it. I staggered upward, stretching my back in pain from the harshness of the Crimson Bands of Horror, or at least that is what I wanted to call them now.

“You don’t like them,” Petyr noted, as he stared into my eyes. “You will change your mind once I teach you how to do it.”

“Oh, is that so?” I spitefully asked.

“It is,” he said in a low tenor, and I could feel that whatever I had done had somehow gotten him aroused. He cleared his throat purposefully, and licked the bottom of his lip as he looked away to let the Cloak firmly attach itself around his neck. The collar perked up pridefully, and Petyr was quick to stroke his shaky fingers along the tip of his collar. “You have done well today, Sansa Stark.”

“Its because I had a good teacher.”

He smiled at that, and his feet unconsciously moved towards me. “Then we shall do it tomorrow, if you’re free.”

“I’ll be free,” I assured him, knowing he would somehow found a way to fit it into my busy schedule.

“You worked hard today. You will need time to rest.”

“Could we-” I paused to close the last of the gap between us. “Stop the formality and just kiss.”

I could have sworn he blushed at that moment, but he didn’t give me time for he lowered his head in silent contemplation. “You wish to make me weak already,” he said just under his breath.

“No, I-”

“Sansa, we’ve been through this before.”

“I know, but its hard!” I yelled out with a strange level of aggravation.

“Hard,” he echoed, and raised his eyes to meet mine.

“I can’t always be as stern as you…. so cold.”

“I am trying to-”

I waved my hands in the air with frustration. “I know what you are trying to do. You want to maintain your power, and I get it, this sort of level of physical intimacy drains you. But I can’t-”

“Then its best you leave,” he interrupted me in a grave sounding voice. “Come back tomorrow, when its all out of your system.”

“What is?”

He bit down on his bottom lip regrettably, before he took a large step back. “I think you should go, Sansa,” he hushed, and lowered his eyes away from me. I shook my head at him, angry that I couldn’t just fall in love with any normal man- no, it had to be with some magician who couldn’t even hold some _normal_ level of intimacy. It wasn’t until I forced my gaze upwards that I remembered he could read my thoughts.

“Pete, I- I’m sorry.” I wrung my hands together, knowing that whatever he did catch had pained him. “Its difficult for me, you know. And I am trying to learn magic, but it's going to take time.”

“You’re frustrated,” he observed in a chilling voice.

“Yes, you can say that.”

“And so am I,” he breathed with furrowed eyebrows “Sometimes I look at my amulet and think if I could just transfer my powers inside of it for a little while-”

“So, you could be normal?’

“Fully human, than yes.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

He let his fingers linger over the bronze emblem, taking in the rough designs that scattered around the closed eye. “There is too much at risk,” he regrettably said. “And I’m not entirely certain if I could get it all back by the time I’m done with you.”

There was a tension after that, and I found the space between us strangely comforting. Petyr’s fingers digged into the Eye of the Agamotto as he glared at me, and only after he let out a shaky breath did he utter, “I think you should leave.”

* * *

There was a soft strumming of strings as we walked down the stairs. A peaceful melody followed, like a flute that ever so delicately played in the quiet house. I turned my head to look at Petyr, and he simply smiled at me with a knowing look. “Wong,” he mouthed, and motioned his hand forward for me to follow. We treaded down the carpeted steps, taking a corner on the right to lead me down an unknown hallway. The music grew louder, pausing every few moments before the pressing of keys could be heard on a piano. _What was this music,_ I thought, as Petyr led me further down the open hallway.

Petyr pressed his finger to his lips to urge me to be silent, and with one glance to a closed doorway it creaked open. _Look,_ I heard him say inside my head, and there I saw Wong with a long samurai sword over his shoulder. He gracefully moved it away from his body, flicking his wrist so it darted forward in a fluid motion. He turned his back to us, bending his knees before he lunged forward. There was a sudden swish, before he pulled it backwards and rose himself to stand tall.

Wong looked focused as he stood perfectly still, the music died down as he muttered foreign words through slightly pursed lips. I felt Petyr’s hand rest on my right shoulder, and with gentle movements he guided me into the room. “Wong,” Petyr said in a quiet voice, and waited for the man to slowly open his eyes and turn to him. Petyr clasped the palms of his hand together and gave Wong a low bow. “Your self-discipline is exemplary.”

“I live to serve my master,” he stated with a slight raise of his head.

“And you have done well,” Petyr assured him in a gentle tone of voice.

“Who does _she_ serve?” he asked, and turned his steely grey eyes to me.

My mouth opened, but no words could come out. I was never so unsure of myself, so uncertain what my exact motives are.

“She will serve me,” Petyr uttered with confidence.

“We will see,” Wong said with a slight bow, before he flicked his sword upward and pointed it at us. “She must train in this ancient way as well.”

“Then you will teach her,” Petyr answered him, and tilted his fingers downwards to lower Wong’s sword. “But not with that.”

Two wooden sticks appeared in thin air, and Petyr reached out to clutch the end of one to hand it to me. “You will learn how to fight with this, and once you have perfected the art of sword fighting you will receive a sword like Wong’s.”

Wong moved away from us with purpose and placed his silver sword back on the wall with the rest of his weapons. He reached downward and grasped at the end of a wooden bow with black engravings running down the side in a foreign language. “You will learn how to fight with a bow and arrow,” Wong told me, while his back continued to face me. “And you will learn how to do this,” he uttered, before he swung around and shot the arrow just inches away from my face. Petyr stopped it in mid-air with a flick of a finger, and pulled the arrow in his direction at a leisurely pace till he could grasp the wooden quiver.

“That was close, Wong.”

“If I wanted to kill her… I would haven’t missed.” Wong laughed under his breath with strange amusement, and turned away to set the bow down on the ground next to his feet.

Petyr snapped the quiver in two, an audible sound that made us both turn and look at him. “Don’t ever do that again,” he warned in a low tenor, and dropped the broken arrow to the ground.

“You care for her so much,” Wong exclaimed. He slammed his fist into his chest and shouted, “But you forget that you must hold nothing on this earth valuable! You are the Sorcerer Supreme-”

“I-know-who-I-am,” Petyr drawled from the corner of his mouth.

“Then you must take care,” Wong said with sudden desperation.

Petyr tilted his head downward and grumbled, “Have I not been doing that all along?”

“Have you?” he shot out in anger.

Petyr took a step forward, brushing me behind him as if he wanted to protect me. “I have sacrificed _everything_. You have no idea how hard it is to not give in to what I want.”

“You _want!_ ” Wong beat his bare chest again with both fists. “You cannot want anything!” He took a step forward with closed fists. “You lack discipline! You lack the will to fight-”

“I fight it everyday!” Petyr yelled out, making his bangs drop over his eyes in sudden anger.

“Not hard enough, for she is still here.” Petyr brushed his hair back as he stepped forward, and Wong in turn reached for his sword and positioned it beside his head with the sharp blade pointing at his master. “You don’t want to hear the _truth_.”

“I’ve heard enough from you.”

“What do you hope to gain by teaching her these things?”

“I-” Petyr stammered, and turned his gaze to me.

“Is it worth so much to have her in your bed,” Wong grumbled through gritted teeth. “You give her this power so openly, but you forget what happens if it should fall into the wrong hands.” Wong tightened his grip around the hilt of his blade as he shouted, “Baron Mordo.”

“You will not utter that name again,” Petyr responded, and flicked his wrist suddenly to send the sword flying out of Wong’s hands.

“Ahaa!” Wong cried, as he grabbed a hold of another sword next to the wall beside him, and held it in front of his chest. He took slow steps in a circular motion, watching Petyr who was now motioning the hovering sword towards him. “Fight!”

“You want to let out some steam?”

“I want to show you that you are _wrong!_ ” he screamed, and hovered the sword over his head before he charged at Petyr. He swung the sword at his master suddenly, but Petyr blocked it by spinning his feet in a circular motion and blocking it with the side of his blade. They stared at each other with deliberate focus, before Wong took small steps forward and Petyr backpedaled with his sword at the ready.

“You know I can beat you with magic,” Petyr reasoned. He tilted the sword upward, showing he was ready to defend himself if needed.

“Then don’t use magic,” Wong said through gritted teeth. “That is what you will have if you engage with her further.”

“No,” Petyr roared, and let out a low grunt in fury as he brought the sword downward to swing at Wong. Wong swiftly blocked it with a side swing, nearly knocking the sword from his master’s hand. Petyr quickly reacted with the Shield of Seraphim when Wong swerved his sword at Petyr's chest.

“You use magic,” Wong mocked, and balanced the Samurai sword perfectly in his hand as he stared at his master.

“I will not fight you,” Petyr reasoned, and let his shield dissolve into thin air.

“Then listen to me,” Wong pleaded, while both of his hands held the end of his hilt. “Let her go before it is too late.”

“I can’t.”

“Then she has already won,” he bitterly said, and removed his left hand from the hilt to lay the sword at his side. “There must be a _new_ Sorcerer Supreme.”

“I am the only one.”

“No,” he drawled in a deep voice. “There must be another.” He flicked the sword upward and positioned it just in front of Petyr’s neck. Petyr was frozen, shocked by the sudden movements of Wong and raised his hands in the air in open surrender. “Perhaps, it will be Brother Voodoo.”

“He is not worthy of it.”

“He is,” Wong said as he narrowed his eyes at his master. He lowered the sword suddenly, placing it at his side again with such fluid motion I hardly saw the blade at all. “It is time you give up the title as Sorcerer Supreme… master.”

“It is mine,” Petyr droned.

“Then give _her_ up.”

I heard the loud gulp from Petyr, and felt a sense of anguish as he turned those clear green eyes to me. He let his eyes fall away from me slowly, too saddened by the thoughts that overcame him to look at me further. “We will train her in the mystic arts,” Petyr finally spoke out. “And she will serve me, and work by my side.”

“Lies! All lies you spew out of your mouth to get what you really want.” Wong shook his head vehemently before he added, “You don’t know what you are doing.”

“I do,” Petyr assured him. He clasped his hands together quickly, and made the long swords in both of their hands dissolve into thin air. “Now, it is time to rest…. for all of us.”

Wong grunted under his breath and walked over to a towel rack to wipe away the sweat that was running down the front of his chest. Petyr took that opportunity to turn his gaze to me and asked, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I lied, while feeling Wong’s venomous glare over Petyr’s shoulder. “I think I should head back now.”

“I’ll walk you out,” he hushed, and reached for my hand to lead me out the room. The music seemed so somber now, as we walked down the hallways that would lead us to the front of the house. Petyr was quiet, but I felt his earnest gaze fall upon me every so often. He stopped me once we reached the staircase and lowered both of his hands over my shoulders. “You are unhappy.”

“What if he’s right?” I questioned him. “What if I only bring you to ruin?”

Petyr laid a hand on the side of my cheek, tenderly rubbing the sides of my fingers down my cheekbone. “Then I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he promised, and leaned forward to give me a long kiss. I fell into his chest and kissed him back fervently, embracing this moment for as long as it would last. Petyr eventually moved back, his eyes turning from a silver green to a glimmering gold.

“Already?” I laughed, and reached forward to touch the side of his temples affectionately.

“It might be due to the thoughts that followed,” he slyly said, and tilted his head downwards in remembrance of it. I leaned forward and kissed his brow, hugging him into my chest to feel as close to him as possible. “Sansa,” he breathed into the side of my neck. “You will come back tomorrow, won’t you?”

“Of course, I will.”

“I’ll talk to Wong,” he deliberated aloud. “I know he has the right intentions, but-”

“It’s worth the risk,” I interrupted. “It's worth everything.”

“It is.”

He leaned his head back to take a good look at me, smiling all the while as he stared into my pale blue eyes. _Is this what love feels like,_ I wandered, and blushed once I realized he could read my thoughts.

“It might,” he whispered, and leaned forward to kiss me fully on the lips until I was left wanting more.


	7. Catching Up

The sky was tinted a light teal, sending a peaceful spell over us. The city park was quiet too- not a gust of wind in the air this morning. It was chilly though, unusual for this time of month, but that didn't stop Julia from jogging a few steps ahead of me.

 _I need a break_ , I thought, as I looked over the wooden bridge to see an orange sphere blazing through the deathly pale sky. The heat from the sun’s rays made me feel slightly warm, but not as warm as I felt whenever my thoughts turned to Petyr, as they did now.

“You act like you’ve never seen a sunrise before,” Julia joked. She leaned against the railings of the bridge, having her back to the rising sun as she studied me.“You alright?”

“I’m fine,” I replied in a distant voice.

“You don't look fine,” my friend remarked with concern. “You look tired.”

“I’ve been working a lot,” I lied. My gaze turned to my friend beside me when I added, “I’m sorry I kept cancelling on you.”

“You have bills to pay. I get it.” She paused when another jogger passed us by with two dogs on either side of her. “I just think you’re working to much at all.”

“I know.”

“Usually you are running laps around me,” she observed. “And you look in pain. Cramps?”

“My body feels stiff.” _It doesn't help that I have bruises everywhere_ , I mused, as I rubbed my forearm for the hundredth time this morning.

“You have today off, right?” She waited for me to nod my head in agreement. “How about I take you to a spa? Good rub down. There’s a place where students do it for real cheap, what do you say?”

“I don't know, Julia, I think I just need a long nap.” _And a break from my intensive martial arts training with Wong._ “I’ll be fine.”

“Whatever you want,” she said sarcastically and leaned off the railing suddenly. She was irritated, and the fact that I had been avoiding her didn't help the matter. _I can't have questions,_ I reminded myself, and made sure to pull down my spring jacket further down my arms to cover the bruises. The wounds weren't intentional, of course, but the training was rigorous and demanded my undivided attention at all times. _Petyr would be furious,_ I knew, but that was the upside of not really seeing him for the past few days. You think I was dating Wong the amount of times I see him in a day.

“Are you still up for coffee at least?” Julia suddenly asked as she let her hands rest on either sides of her hips.

“I can't have coffee right now. I just want to head back to bed after this.”

“You don't have to have coffee,” she reminded me. She was twisting her ankles in an effort to stretch as she reasoned, “I just wanted to talk.”

“About what?”

“Joey.” I pursed my lips as I looked at her, waiting for the reveal what would add another red flag to their relationship. “I think he is leading me on…”

“Uh, huh.”

“Why do guys do that?”

“Cause they are stupid and they only think with their cocks.”

“Not every guy.”

“Just about,” I laughed, and felt Petyr was just as guilty as everyone else. “You can do better.”

“So you keep saying-”

“Because it's true. If a guy wants you then he will be the one pursuing the relationship- not you.”

“It's a different generation-”

“Cut the bull shit, Julia,” I raped out suddenly, started by the irritability that came over me. _I need sleep,_ I realized, knowing that Petyr and Wong’s manipulation of time was finally catching up to me.

“No, you’re right,” Julia confessed. “I just wanted it so badly I’m kind of forcing it.”  
“Think of it as a life lesson.” I rubbed my hand across my brow tiredly as I turned my head away from her. “Jewel, I need sleep. Mind if we cut it short for today.”

“Yeah, no worries, girl. Get some sleep.”

“Thanks!” I shouted as I already started to walk the opposite direction of her. “I’ll text you when I get home.”

She waved one final goodbye as she shouted back, “Same!”

 _Right off to bed,_ I told myself, as I headed to the closest subway station. _Home and bed_ , I kept repeating to myself just in case my feet started to wander off to Greenwich village instead.

* * *

 I was just cuddled up in my blankets when Arya bursted into my room and flickered on the lights. “Arya!” I screamed, and threw a blanket over my head. “Get-out!”

“It's ten in the morning. You realize that, don't you?”

I grunted in misery while tossing myself over to the furthest end of the bed. “What do you want, Arya?” I grunted into my pillow.

“No one is home,” she remarked, after she sat down at the edge of my bed. “Bran is off tutoring the neighbours again. Rickon is at soccer practice with Mom and Dad. Jon is doing that twelve hour shift today, and Robb is out of town, so...”

“So, that just leaves me,” I regrettably said, before I tossed the blanket away from my face. She wore a smug as she looked at me, taking in my tired appearance with knotted hair and baggy NYU sweater shirt that nearly engulfed my slender frame.

“You free?”

“I’m sleeping.”

“Were sleeping,” she corrected. “I’ve never seen you this tired before.”

“Yes, well…” I sat up on the bed and gave me sister a sleepy look. “I’ve been busy.”

“I can see that,” she said with a curious glimmer in her eyes. “The only question is what have you been doing?”

“Working,” I lied again.

“Still saving up for a place of your own?”

I rubbed my eyes tiredly with the back of my hands. “That's the plan,” I yawned, and ended it with a long stretch of my arms.

“How’s Julia?”

“Same as ever,” I said with disinterest. “What are you really here for?”

“What do you think of my hair?”

“What?”

“Like the length?”

“It's the same as always,” I answered her with a look of suspicion. “I thought you liked it to your shoulders.”

“I do!” She gave me a false smile as she added, “Gendry said he likes girls with long hair.”

“Gendry is a tool,” I rebutted. I closed my eyes tiredly as I mused, “If he can't accept you with short hair then he shouldn't accept you at all.”

“He said it's a preference.”

“And what do you prefer?” I asked once I opened my eyes to take a good look at her.

“Like this.”

“Then keep it,” I rapped out. “It suits you.”

Arya twisted the ends of her hair aimlessly. A tiny smile played upon her lips as she looked down at my soft lilac printed sheets. “Thanks, Sansa.”

“Anytime. I seem to be giving advice to everyone these days.”

“Who is this new woman?” Arya laughed as she stood to her feet. “Where did my sister go?”

“She just got wiser,” I answered her. _And fell in love, but Arya doesn't have to know that._

“Rugby is on,” she said excitedly. “Do you want to watch it?”

“I thought you always watch the Premier League?”

“I recorded it. I want to watch it with Dad later. So, what do you say?”

“I say no.”

“You can sleep on the couch. Come on, San-San.”

“Please, don't call me that!”

“Then get out of bed,” she taunted, and pulled down the sheets to reveal my slightly bruised legs. Fortunately, for me it wasn't as bad as my arms. “Work, huh?” she commented, as she took a good long look at the purple marks down my legs. “Who did it?”

“It's not what you think-”

“I’m going to kill them,” she threatened with a dark expression.

“I’ve been taking up martial arts.”

“Why?”

“Self defense,” I quickly replied. “We live in the middle of New York City, why not?”

“That is true,” she assented with a slight nod of the head. “Mom should have signed us up for self-defense classes years ago.”

“A friend is teaching me,” I lied again. “He is a bit rough, but a good teacher. I would say the best.”

“Could he teach me?”

“You take kickboxing,” I laughed. “You already know how to defend yourself!”

“Yeah, but there is still room for improvement.”

“Alright, I’ll ask him.”

“Cool.”

“Now, let's go to the living room so I can go back to sleep.”

“Okay,” she sweetly said, and helped me out of the bed. I watched her attentively, wondering how she would react to Petyr and the oddities found inside of his Sanctum. _Time will tell,_ I mused, and offered my sister a false smile to appease her, as I hobbled out the room.

* * *

 Arya plopped down on the couch with a box of donuts in her hand. She handed the box to me with a sly smile. “It will cheer you up,” she remarked, and opened the lid for me to see a dozen donuts inside.

“No thanks.”

“You’re not yourself.”

“I’m tired.” I pushed the pillow behind my back more before I lifted up the controller to turn up the volume more.

Arya diverted her attention from the game and focused on me instead. “You’re hiding something.”

“Because I don’t want a donut.”

“Your _favourite_ donut, then yes.”

“Oh, look! Your team is winning.”

“That won't work with me,” she said with a haunting look. “What's on your mind?”

“What do you think of people who have superhuman strength?”

“I think they are cool.” She took the box from me, cutting her eye with suspicion. “But you knew that already.”

“What about all the ones that were taken into custody. Those that are hiding from the government… still.”

“I think they should have a mind. No…” she paused in between bites. “A choice of their own.”

“So, you disagree with Dad.”

“Yeah.”

I reached over and stole a donut out of the open box. “Good,” I sharply said before I took a large bite of the glazed pastry. “I’m glad.”

“Why? The guy who is training you has superhuman strength?”

“Not necessarily.”

“But you know someone who does.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“But he uses it for good.”

“So, he’s a superhero?”

“No.”

“No,” she moaned with a disgruntled look. “Now, I’m lost.”

“He doesn't take part in all of that. He's a bit of an outsider… different.”

“Like a social outcast? Is he a mutant?”

“No,” I giggled nervously. “He isn't like that at all.”

“So, he's human.”

“A bit… well…”

“Now, you are scaring me.”

“His DNA has changed.” I twisted my toes into the center of the couch nervously. “From an overuse of magic.”

“So, he’s a wizard!” she yelled out, and immediately turned off the television to learn more.

“A sorcerer.”

“Like Merlin?”

“What?”

“Gandalf?”

“Who?”

“Okay, okay,” she excitedly said. “Scarlet Witch!”

“The girl who ended the Civil War by basically killing everyone?”

“It was an accident,” she answered me with a roll of her eyes. “She lost control of her powers, and it wasn’t everyone.”

“It was enough,” I rebutted. “Besides, it's impossible to lose control of your powers. You just can't!”

“You can!” my sister rebutted. “Its as easy as losing your temper.”

“And how would you know.”

“Because I’m the Hulk,” she gibbed and flexed her forearm to reveal prominent muscles bulging out of her skin.

“Very funny.”

“I only wish I had super powers,” she sulked. “Oh, well! When do I get to meet him?”

 _Never, I wanted to say._ “I’ll see what I can do,” I replied quietly before I laid my head along the back of the couch.

Arya took my answer thoughtfully, ensuring her stare lasted a little longer than it should before she reached for the controller.

The television screen flashed in a fury of colours as an annoying commercial blared through the speakers. Arya being considerate turned the volume down to an appropriate level before she curled up her legs on the sofa with the box of donuts in hand. I let my eyelids lower, feeling the need for sleep coming over me again. It was a waste of a Saturday morning but it was necessary.

 _I never worked so hard in my life,_ I mused, as I tucked my head into the nook of the couch. I could still hear an echo of Wong berating me. “Concentrate!” he ordered with a long wooden staff in hand. “You must stay focused even when you’re tired.”

 _We were at it for hours last night,_ I remembered, _and Petyr wasn't even there._

“I was at a meeting,” he drawled, as he helped Wong pull back the time to send me back to the right timeline. “Something came up.”

“Something always comes up,” I sulked, even if he wasn't in the mood to hear it.

“Sansa, you know I’m busy,” he scolded with a tiredness in his grey-green eyes. “A lot is happening that you don't know about-”

“Then tell me,” I interrupted him, ignoring the watchful gaze of Wong in the far corner of the training room.

“You know I can't! Too many lives at stake, including yours. Are you sure you don't want me to take you home?”

“No, portals,” I reminded him. “Its too risky with my family and all.”

“I understand.”

“Walk me to the subway station. That should be enough,” I reasoned, and suddenly recalled the look of fear in the depth of his eyes. _He did look a bit uneasy as he walked me to the subway too,_ I recollected, _but he hid it well for the most part._

“Text me when you get home,” he reminded me at the subway entrance way. “I don't like you out here at dark.”

“You sound like my mother,” I teased after I gave him a tender kiss. He looked so irresistible in a loose grey t-shirt and jeans, bringing out the silver temples in the dim lighting of the street. I found my fingers rubbing over it, while we held an unyielding gaze with one another. “Besides you know when I’m home.”

“Do I?” he whispered, to match the quietness of the street.

“You can sense it here,” I replied, and laid it over his beating chest. I left it there for a moment as I bit my lip up at him, taking in the weight of his heavy gaze.

“You can say that,” he hushed with a sudden heaving of his chest. “Gods, I don't want you to go,” he confessed aloud. ‘But you must.”

“I can stay.”

“No, you should return home,” he sensibly replied, though it pained him to admit it. “I will see you soon, promise.”

“You better keep your word, mister,” I teased, as I slipped out of his arms. It was so hard to leave him, a thing that I noticed has been growing in strength over the past few weeks.

“Text me,” he drawled from the corner of his lips once there was some space between us.

“I’ll call you.”

“That's my girl.”

“Or I can create a portal between our two rooms-”

“No, sweetling,” he said with a stern shake of his head.

“Tell me you hadn't thought of that before,” I teased and leaned forward to give him one last kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you,” I assured him, before I sauntered away.

I remembered a warm sensation all over me when I was sitting on the subway, but now that I think of it I don't know why. He was with me, I knew, but the exact reason for that was still unknown.

A sharp nudge on the thigh made me lift me head and glare at Arya. “What was that for?” I yelled out in pain, and rubbed the area where her stubby toes assaulted me.

“You're not sleeping,” she pointed out. “You’re just staring off in space.”

“I was thinking.”

“About?”

“Why do you have to know everything that is going on inside of my mind?”

“Forget it,” Arya barked back through gritted teeth. “It probably isn't interesting anyways.”

“Oh, its very interesting,” a deep voice bellowed behind us, as heavy footsteps quickly followed it. “But not as interesting as this.”

“Petyr!” I yelled out with glee, and jumped off the couch to greet him. A golden portal closed behind him abruptly, and he shot me half a smile as he watched me run towards him.

“Sansa,” he said in a low tone of voice the moment my arms wrapped around the back of his neck. He let me kiss him dutifully, smiling for a moment into my lips before he gave in as well. “Stop,” he suddenly said, and pushed me away lightly as the right side of his face flinched. “Your powers are getting stronger… but not strong enough.”

“I know,” I answered him with a sad smile. “I just need more time.”

“We have all the time in the world, sweetling.”

Arya snickered from the couch, loud enough for us to turn our attention to her. “Sweetling,” she said with air quotations.

I sighed, and with a gentle tug of Petyr’s hand to lead him forward I explained, “This is my sister, Arya.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said in a deep tenor. Arya studied him now, taking in his peculiar clothing and the red collar that continually flapped with expectation. Petyr in his own way studied her, a faint smile played on his lips once he reached his conclusion.

“You're older than I expected,” Arya mused aloud.

“And you're bolder,” he quipped.

Arya lowered her head in acknowledgement. Her eyes scanned his face one last time before she turned to me. “He’s better than Joffrey.” I blushed profusely at that, unable to look the two of them in the eye unless I gave my feelings away. “But everyone is,” Arya concluded, and slipped off the couch till her feet were leveled to the ground. “So, what's your name?”

“Petyr Strange.”

“Sounds appropriate,” she gibbed with a lopsided grin. “And you're a wiz-”

“Sorcerer!” Petyr and I blurted out at the same time.

“Right.”

Petyr placed his left hand on the small of my back to get my attention. “Sansa, I need your help. Will you come with me?”

“My help?”

He nodded his head in agreement. “Think of it as your first assignment.”

“Okay?”

“My friend is in trouble.”

“Wong?”

“No,” he gravely replied. “Its Peter. Will you come?”

“Of course, I will.”

He closed his eyes in gratitude, letting the lines across his face smooth out for a moment. “You took some of my powers away,” he noted. “Mind if you create a portal to my Sanctum?”

“How?”

“Imagine you are in my loft.”

“Or your room.”

“No, not my room,” he said with a careful look at my sister.

“Fine, your kitchen. That will give a good scare to Wong,” I laughed, though I instantly stopped once I felt Petyr’s warm hands pierce both sides of my waist. I closed my eyes and raised my hand in the air as I tried to envision the all to familiar space.

“Take me home,” Petyr cooed with a delicate kiss to the side of my neck. It was enough for a flash of light to leave my fingers and a golden portal to emerge. “That's my girl,” he said with pride as he added more pressure to the side of my hips to steer me into the open portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sansa sounded like the voice of reason in this chapter; she offered advice that everyone needed to hear- including myself. I wanted to see Sansa interact with people other than Petyr this chapter, but rest assure there will be a lot of action and adventure in chapter eight :)


	8. Perfect

Wong dropped the spatula down on the countertop next to the oven when we came into the room; his face as white as a sheet of paper even when I ran up to hug him.

“Wong,” I said in a teasing voice and hugged him tighter in spite of him being as stiff as a board. “Did you miss me?”

“Its only been a couple of hours, Sansa,” he breathed out through clenched teeth.

I let him go and took a step back gleefully. “No thanks to your time manipulation,” I pointed out. I looked down at the brown gooey sauce that was simmered in the frying pan. “That looks good… it smells kind of good too.” My eyes widened after I realized the words that just came spilling out of my mouth but Wong’s response was thwarted by heavy footsteps pounding on the kitchen floor and a furious look on Petyr’s face. “Petyr?” I squeaked as he pushed me away from Wong suddenly with one strong hand, the other firmly resolved itself to Wong’s neck. “Petyr, what are you-”

“Did he do that to you?” he asked in a scratchy voice, it came from deep within him as he glared at Wong with pure venom. “Did he leave those marks on you?”

“Petyr,” I pleaded, as I heard the panted breaths escape Wong’s half open mouth. He was in the air now, both hands clinging to Petyr’s deathly grip. “Let him go.”

“Did he do it?”

“Yes, but-”

Petyr slammed Wong into an empty wall, smacking the back of Wong's head harshly on the artwork behind him. “I could kill you,” he growled with narrowed eyes. Wong in desperation started to fight back, grasping at the Eye of Agamotto around Petyr’s neck, but the second the palm of his hand wrapped around him it burned into his skin.

“Let us explain,” I cried out, after I touched the firm muscles bulging out of the back of Petyr’s shoulder blade. “It wasn't intentional!”

“But he still did it,” a small voice said behind all three of us. I looked over my shoulder to find Arya standing in front of the disintegrated portal.

“Arya! You shouldn't be here,” I scolded, but it was too late the portal was already closing to a marginal size.

“I heard yelling,” she explained. “I’m glad he is standing up for you.” Arya walked towards us at a steady pace, her eyes glued to the man who was wheezing and gasping under Petyr’s death grip. “Cause if he wouldn't do it… I would.”

I looked at the three of them in desperation. “Petyr its not that bad, really.”

Petyr loosened his grip suddenly and let Wong grovel along the side of the wall away from them. There was a tense silence in the room, each of us watching Wong with a disapproving look, except for myself who had nothing but a look of pity.

“It wasn't intentional, Pete,” I exclaimed once the nervous coughing subsided across the room. “He was harsh but I learned a lot from him.”

“Sansa,” he answered me in a low tenor, while his eyes remained on Wong’s half-bent form. “There is no reason you should have bruises like that. I should have noticed before but…”

“I kept it hidden,” I explained. “I’m sorry.”

The room lapsed into an awkward silence, only the simmering sound of the sauce on the frying pan could be heard. Arya was silent too, watching us from afar with keen attention. Wong was beginning to recover, eyes shining with reluctant tears as he tried to catch his breath.

 _I should have told him,_ I mused. Petyr turned his entire body to me now, his lip quivering slightly with pain. “How long…” he gulped loudly before he continued: “Has this been going on?”

“Just a few days really.”

“What weapons did you use?”

“Wooden staff.” I rubbed the side of my right arm guilty. “Wooden sword.”

“And that is all?”

“Yes.”

“Take off your sweater, Sansa,” he said in so low a voice it could scarcely be heard. I did what I was told, shedding off the heavy sweatshirt until I was only standing in a sports bra and my pajama shorts. Petyr stared at me long and hard, blinking occasionally when it was to much to bear. “This is my fault,” he sighed. “Wong and I are used to training such as that, but you…” Petyr tilted his head to the side mournfully. “You should never have to endure that.”

Wong walked forward with careful steps, his hand cautiously dragging along the wall as he uttered, “I did what I thought was best. You asked me to train her so I did.”

“I never asked you to use her so harshly!” Petyr spat out. “From now on I shall do _all_ of the training.”

“There are other matters that concern you.”

“It can wait.” Petyr’s red collar dipped low before it unbuckled itself from his neck. He was shocked for a moment, but when he turned around he seemed to sense what it was doing. The Cloak of Levitation hovered towards me and wrapped itself around my tired frame. I felt a sense of warmth and comfort as I dragged my fingers down the soft material, letting my fingers glide down the length of it before I raised my head to be leveled with Petyr.

“What does it mean?” I asked him in a hush voice.

“We will protect you, Sansa,” he replied with an honest look. “Always.”

I offered him a small smile, blinking sadly as I took in his grievous expression. _He feels so guilty,_ I knew, _but it wasn't his fault- he didn't know._

“Wong you shall return to your regular duties,” he rapped out over his shoulder. “And if it wasn't for your loyalty I would have dismissed you.”

“I understand,” he muttered with a low bow. “Petyr,” he added with an apologetic look.

“I know you have taken great pains to teach her martial arts. All loyal to the teachings we have learned at the Karma-Taj. Still…”

“I was too rough,” he admitted. “Demanded too much. But I see great potential in her… the same as you.”

“Then treat her with the same respect you do to me,” Petyr asked of him with a friendly pat on his shoulder. “And I am sorry what I did to you earlier. Your right about her, she is my weakness.”

“Then you better keep it to yourself.”

Petyr eyebrows raised with confusion. His hand slipped away from Wong’s shoulder as he inquired, “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” he looked over his shoulder to glare at me with steely grey eyes. “She is getting stronger. Heightened ability in mystic arts and now martial arts training. You should see her, Petyr, she moves faster than you can ever imagine.”

“All thanks to you.”

“Two hour training with thirty minute interval.” A sliver of a smile crossed his face as he headed towards Arya and I. “In the break we rest and mediate, before we start all over again. She never complains. Studious and exhibits a tremendous sense of control.”

I wrapped the cloak around me tighter as I muttered, “I had a good teacher.”

“And you were a good pupil.” He stood before me now as he added, “But it is time for another to take charge.”

“Good!” my sister blurted out with a dangerous look. “Or you’ll have to deal with me.”

“Who is this-”

“Arya,” she cut in, and crossed her arms stiffly. “I take it your the one who left those marks.”

I sighed loud enough for them to hear it. “Arya, we reached a conclusion on this.”

“Your boyfriend may have,” she said with narrowed eyes. “But I haven't!”

“Arya, please,” I sighed, and walked away from her to show I was finished with the conversation. The cloak flapped behind my back, a thing that left me utterly surprised. _Why is it still on me,_ I wondered, as I made my way to the piping hot oven. There was still some bickering behind me, probably Arya and Wong, but my attention was now gravitating to that sumptious smell coming from the stovetop and oven. _It smells so good,_ I thought, as I picked up the spoon to stir the thickened sauce. It was so thick it clinged to the spoon, but that didn't detract me from wanting it.

“Would you like a taste?” Petyr whispered beside me, his hand resting on the back of my shoulder as he leaned down to address me. He was close, so close I could see the hairs prickling out of the side of cheeks and chin. _He needs to shave,_ I thought with a smile. _He looks tired too._

“What is it?”

“Something I never thought would peak your interest,” he said with concern. “Bolga sauce. A whole mix of magical ingredients, enough to make a normal person sick.”

“Would I get sick?”

“I’m not sure.” He drew out a teaspoon from a drawer next to him. “You never looked that way before with my food.”

“What way?”

“Like you’d lick it straight off my frying pan if you could.” He scooped the spoon into the simmering pan and then handed it to me. “Try it.”

I closed my eyes and stuck the whole of the spoon into my mouth. It melted on my tongue, heavy with flavour that left me wanting more the second I swallowed it.

“Sansa,” Petyr pronounced with care. “You looked like you enjoyed that too much.”

I licked my lips at him, hungry for him just as much as the sauce in front of him. Something changed, I could feel it, but what exactly that was, well, it was still a mystery to me.

“Sansa,” Petyr repeated, an air of caution was written across his face.

“I want more,” I found myself saying and scooped up the sauce with my spoon before I placed it in front of Petyr’s tightened mouth. “And I want you to have it too.”

He opened his mouth slowly, accepting the offering I gave him with his eyes still on me. I saw his cheeks suck in, the pull of his tongue on the spoon as he lathered the last of it. He let out a deep breath when I pulled the spoon out, eyes so intently on me that it left me in a daze. Petyr swallowed hard and only then did his eyes widen. “You shouldn't be able to have this!”

“But I did.”

“Sansa!” He said excitedly and stepped into the last of my space. “That could only mean one thing.”

“We can finally have a meal together.”

“It means this,” he hushed, as he tugged on the tip of the red collar to draw me in. His lips smacked hard against mine, hands pressed hard against my back as he pushed me into his solid chest. He kissed me like he couldn't get enough of it, taunt and playful with a childish grin if we parted for a moment.

I kept expecting him to pull away, but his eyes retained the same clear grey-green. _Is it possible that…_

“Wong!” he happily yelled out, and looked over his shoulder to see the Wong and Arya total look of disgust. “Yes, I know, but is lunch ready yet?"

“It is.”

“Dish it out right away.” There was a wicked grin when he contemplated aloud, “I want to test out a theory.”

* * *

The table was full of food: chopped vegetables, steaming pot of green tea that vaguely reminded me of Chen’s, and a torso of an splotched pink and white animal that I had never seen before. A sliced apple was neatly tucked in the large gap where its head would have been, reminding me of Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunt Lysa’s house. The brown gooey sauce was placed in a sauce bowl, but that didn't mean I wanted to drink the contents whole.

“I know,” Petyr whispered next to my ear. “I want to eat it all too.”

I tilted my head to see the darkness in his eyes, desire for the food in front of him and for myself. Still, this was a test to see if his theory was true. If I could stomach Wong’s magical cuisine then that could mean only one thing…

“This smells disgusting,” Arya moaned into her sleeve. “How can you people eat this?”

“Its not meant for you,” Wong groaned, as he exited out of the kitchen doorway. “There’s pizza here for you.”

“Pizza,” Petyr said with his tongue half hanging out of his mouth. “Wong, do you enjoy tormenting me?"

Wong chuckled as he took his assigned seat in front of his master. “I made you a whole meal,” he pointed out, and dropped the oven mitts down on the table beside him. “Should we begin?”

Petyr positioned the searing hot meat in front of me with a large fork in hand. “Alright, Sansa. Its now or never,” he stated with a playful narrowing of his eyes before he plopped the cut meat down on my plate. “Its a delicacy, so I hope you enjoy it.”

“What’s it called?” I asked, as I lifted up my knife and fork. My eyes taking turns darting between Arya’s pepperoni pizza and the plate of meat in front of me. _I want both,_ I realized, but I could only have one thing at a time. I took the heavy steak knife in hand after the regular one served no purpose, and began to cut into the thick chunks of meat. “Pete?”

“I’ll tell you if you manage to put it down,” he slyfully answered, and poured the sauce over the meat before I had a chance to argue back. “Tell me what you think.”

“Okay,” I meekly replied. I placed it in my mouth and thought it was like chewing rubber, all tough and difficult to swallow. The flavour though, it was out of this world, all salty and charred like perfect steak grilled on the barbeque. I heard myself moaning while chewing it, letting my tongue lather up the juices as I took in that good tasting sauce as well.

“Like it?” Petyr asked in a husky voice, completely forgetting his own plate of food as he watched me.

“Uh hum,” I said with the tiniest of smiles. I felt a hot hand rest on my right thigh, nails gripping into my bare skin in reply. I stopped chewing and looked at Petyr in the corner of my eye, seeing all I needed to in a single glance to tell me he was very nearly aroused. _Now, is not the time,_ I thought, and noticed he smiled at my secret thoughts.

“Then you better hurry up and eat,” he answered me with closed lips.

I pursed my own lips with expectation, swallowing the lump of food in my mouth as I felt the grip around my thigh tighten. _Holy Agamotto,_ I thought, after he brushed his own leg against mine. _He won’t even let me finish my food._

“I’m glad you like Tessain,” Wong prompted up from his seat across Petyr. “My master hunted it himself. I believe he used a bow and arrow-”

“Primitive means,” Petyr said with a raised glass. “But it makes good practice.” He took a long sip of the unknown substance before he got the bright idea that I might like it as well. “Try it,” he instructed, and handed me his cup for me to drink. It was tar black and reeked with a smell that reminded me of a fish shop at the end of the day. I plucked my nose for his own amusement before I took a quick sip of the substance. It lingered on the tip of my tongue with bitterness, making my eyes squint from the flavour. “You’ll get used to it,” he suggested, and instructed me to take a sip again.

 _It’s so slimy and bitter,_ I thought, as I lifted up the cup for more. I closed the lids of my eyes as I drank it, finding a large gulp was the only way to force the liquid down.

“Its like drinking beer for the first time,” he explained, as he took the cup from me. “You’ll find yourself addicted to it soon enough.”

“You seem so sure of it.”

“I’m not,” he said over the rim of his cup. “I am just speaking from experience.”

I turned my head to find Arya staring at us with interest. _We must look so weird to her,_ I noted, with me wearing his magical robe while eating this foreign, unpleasant looking lunch. _Welcome to the Sanctum Sanctorum._

“I thought you needed my help,” I suddenly recalled aloud, and turned to the man who was now stuffing his mouth with food.

He was licking the tips of his fingers with pleasure at me while I waited for a reply. “I did,” he laughed, and dropped the clean bone down on his plate. “I still do, actually, but not for another couple of hours.”

“Hours?”

“Yes, the danger hasn’t occured yet.”

“Can’t we stop it now?”

“No, sweetling. Best not to mess with the timeline, even if I want too.”

“Oh, yes,” I said with a short nod of the head. “You told me this before in my training.”

“So, I did,” he remarked, before he picked up another leg of Tessain. “I am glad you remember.”

“I’m pretty sure I remember everything,” I said with a sly grin.

He sucked at the bone while eyeing me with pleasure. “I’ll put that to the test later,” he muttered after he had his fill. “You remember how I told you some of the superheroes went underground for safety?"

“Yeah.”

“Well, so did the villains. You have to understand no one is safe, including you and I.”

“Sansa isn’t a superhero,” Arya piped up from across the table. She was sitting directly in front of me with an empty plate and her arms crossed over the table. “She has no superpowers.”

“Sansa’s ability to eat this meal proves otherwise.”

“So,” I dropped my utensils on the side of my plate neatly. “You are saying I have superpowers.”

“I am saying you have magical powers,” he droned into his half empty cup. He placed the cup down deliberately, eyes staring into the liquid black pool as he mused, “You are becoming like me.”

I froze at his statement, unsure exactly how I felt at this moment. _This what I always wanted,_ I remembered, but that did not stop the wave of anxiety that came over me. Petyr must have sensed it for he wiped his mouth with a napkin before he leaned in and gently kissed the side of my cheek. I let out a small gasp as I felt his fingers trail up my waist, stopping over the right side of my breast as he looked up longingly at me. “I want it too,” he hushed into the pillow of my tumbling auburn hair. “I want _you_ , Sansa.”

A rush of warm heat trailed through me and centered down below. My fingers instinctively dug into the table cloth next to my plate, bright red nail polish contrasting off the cool white sheet. I held my breath, trying to find some part of me that was self contained but I was slowly losing it when his hand inquisitively traveled around my frame. I stood up suddenly, gaining the attention of all as I nervously fidgeted with my fingers in front of my chest. “I need a moment,” I said as an excuse, and pushed back the chair all the way before I headed out of the dining room.

My feet felt unsteady as I traveled down the hall, whatever I had at the dining table was obviously having an effect on me. I let my hand drag along the hallway, hand over my stomach as I felt a warm tingling feeling sweltering in my stomach. _What is happening to me_ , I wondered, and found myself crouching down in the center of the hallway in pain. Footsteps soon padded behind me, the familiar heavy thud told me it was Petyr. I looked over my shoulder at him with half a smile, grateful that he was at least there to calm my anxious thoughts.

“It’s the first time,” he muttered, before he knelt down to get at my level. “I have heard… there is a first time for everything.”

“Hmmm,” I murmured with half-closed lids, blinking at him without any sort of feeling.

“I think you need to lie down, Sansa Stark.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I would,” he said in a husky voice that took me off guard. He lifted me into the air without warning, cradling me in his arms as he took his first step forward. I nuzzled my head just under his chin, wrapping my arms around his neck lovingly as I let my eyes close. I felt myself rocking in his arms as he took me down the hallway, noticing the sound whenever he went from carpet to hardwood floor. He was silent, a thing I was grateful for as my stomach tightened and loosened with each moment. For a normal person they might have gagged by now, but somehow my stomach was able to hold it. The creaking of the stairs told me we were heading up stairs. My fingers instinctively clawed into the back of his neck, that small part of me was preparing itself already. _I want him,_ I found myself thinking, even when my entire body felt like it was a ship hitting a rocky shore.

“You will feel better in no time,” Petyr assured me. I opened my eyes to see him gazing at me. The side of his face tightened with strain as he added, “You’ll see.”

“Are you going to cast some magical spell,” I laughed. It was cut short when I noticed we were in front of his bedroom door. “Petyr?”

“I have a theory,” he said with lowered eyebrows. “But I’ll need your permission to try it out.”

The corner of my lip curled into a devious smile. My right hand reached away from us both to turn the door handle, but I found it locked after a single attempt. “Try magic,” Petyr suggested with an inexplicable expression. I drew my hand back to my side, and pressed it behind Petyr’s neck. A single thought was fixated in my mind, and after a moment or more I heard the door unlock and clink open.

“Excellent,” I heard him say while I continue to watch the door open. “And now it is time to test it.”

He let my feet cascade gently to the floor as though I was a fairy, his hands enclasped around my hips the entire time, even when I tried to take a step back. I licked my top lip nervously, feeling his hands travel up and down my slender back wantongily. I felt him take a step forward, mine quickly followed backward till we were moving at the same pace. It wasn’t long before the back of my calves knocked against the side of the bed. I let out a nervous giggle for god knows why, turning my attention to Petyr’s perfectly made bed. “So, what’s your theory?” I asked, feeling the need to fill the silence.

“You have an abundance of magic,” Petyr drawled out while his left hand got lost in my hair. “And you may need some of it out.”

“Okay?”

“Like a cup of water that's been overflowed.”

“That much, huh?”

He leaned in slowly, firm lips pressed in the hollow of my cheek before he began to kiss his way upwards. My nails dug into his skin mistakenly, eyes closed fervently to hide back my desire. “That much,” he droned, after he fidgeted with the Cloak of Levitation collar, until it got the hint to fly off my form. _He’s enjoying himself._ His hands slide up my back, trailing the center of my spine to leave me shivering the second it fled from the spot. He was hot to the touch, and yet, rough enough with his mouth to compensate with the rest of his gentle movements. _The beast has awoken,_ I noted, after Petyr’s fingers found a way to slip up the front of my sport’s bra. “Take it off, sweetling,” he said in a soft tone of voice.

“If you let me go for a second I will,” I taunted, and took a small step backward for more room. He watched me tear it off in the warm afternoon lighting in his room, the blinds were closed but the cracks through the blinds gave us enough light. I still felt somewhat dizzy, but the moment his hands touched me I felt steady enough to enjoy his kisses. _Maybe his theory is true,_ I considered, _but I knew there was only one way to find out._

I spread myself out on his light green sheets, grabbing the closest pillow I could find to throw it behind my head. Petyr was busy removing his clothes the old fashioned way, obviously sane enough to know he had to conserve enough magical energy as he could. I loved the toneness of his chest, the large lean form that stood in front of the bed as he undid his pants. I liked how his jet black hair fell over his forehead, all that tameness seemed to be completely gone at that moment. When those clear grey-green eyes finally looked back at me I knew he was the one, the one I wanted to give that precious gift too.

There’s a first time for everything, I remembered him saying. _I wanted to spend this first time with him,_ I decided, and got out of the bed to stand directly in front of him.

“Thank you, Petyr,” I utterted after I let a single finger drag down the front of his scar.

“For what?” he asked, and stopped my wandering hand by placing his own inside of it.

“For being so patient with me.”

“I might say the same to you.”

“I guess.” I closed my eyes gratefully with a whimsical expression. “But I appreciate it.”

He chuckled low while his head was pressed to his chest. “Then let me show you my appreciation,” he answered me, and leaned in to kiss me slowly. I froze under his tender touch, breathless as I felt the full weight of his feeling. There was something unison about this moment, as if our entire body and minds were in sync. _Magic,_ I thought, and felt a strange power travel from me to him.

“Sansa,” he hushed, as he tilted his head downwards so I couldn’t see his eyes. “I think you have the power to take away my powers but…”

“Yes?”

“I think you can give it to me too,” he replied through a half closed mouth. “I think you are doing that now.”

“And that’s good right?”

“Its perfect,” he replied in earnest, as he led me towards the bed. “Just perfect.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry lovely ladies, but I had to cut it short. Don't worry, the next chapter will be just as hot.


	9. Put to the Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr tests out his theory, and Sansa enjoys every second of it.

Petyr was laying me down in the center of the bed as he hushed, “Don’t worry, Sansa, I’ll be gentle.”

My hands were tightly clutched around the back of his neck, while he hovered just over me. He was a large man, and I felt it as he slowly leaned his weight down on me. The forearm of his muscles bulged as he let his hand wander over the side of my waist, cupping my left breast tenderly as he gazed down at me. “I’m not afraid,” I told him honestly, I already know what you’re like in bed."

He laughed in good humour, bearing the sides of his legs down on mine till he found a comfortable position.

“I know this is your first time,” he admitted. “I’ll take care of you.”

“I know.”

“I love you, Sansa,” he breathed out, and blushed ever so slightly after he admitted it.

I couldn’t say the words just now, so I cupped the sides of his cheeks and lifted my head slightly to kiss him in answer. I felt the air escape his nostrils as he breathed heavily against my cheek, opening his mouth wider to bury his lips into my own. He enjoyed my long kiss, becoming hard against the inside of my thigh as he leaned into my body further.

“Sansa,” he said with delight, after our lips parted. He ran his fingers over the tops of my shoulders, bringing me forward so I could kiss him again. He tasted delicious, like the meal we enjoyed earlier. I felt a warm humdrum feeling transcending between him and I the more we touched- the longer we kissed, a natural flow that allowed him to slip his hands underneath my back to bring me closer to him. “Hold me tight,” he instructed, after he let his arms slip away so I could lay flat on the bed. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and gave him a good long stare, liking the softness of his grey-green eyes as he looked down on me.

“Are you going to show me that beast in bed?” I taunted, while I stroked my fingers upward against the currents of his thick mane, feeling lost in the sheer thickness of it.

“No, I’m going to show you how much I care for you,” he replied. “Would you like that?”

Small dimples played on my cheek as I smiled at him. “I would,” I replied, as I took in that cute boyish grin.

He straddled me with purpose, before he beared down on me, slipping himself inside of me with comfortable ease while he distracted me with wanton kisses. I gave as good as he did, desperately trying to catch up with his wicked game of tongue and all, as he pushed himself inside of me. I felt myself expanding, trembling under his weight, of the size of him barricading through my walls at a steady pace. I had to draw my lips away just to catch my breath, feeling my body rock upwards beneath him. Fingers quickly grabbed at whatever sturdy surface it could find, and it ended up on the front of his chest and cupping his rounded shoulders as the tension bubbled inside of me. “Petyr,” I said breathlessly with half-closed lids, as he steadily put me on a high. My mouth was open, trying to inhale some air when noticed his wicked grin. “What is it?”

“Don’t give me any ideas, Sansa. I”m trying to be good."

“Ideas?” I asked with confusion, but he only answered me by swallowing my words with a reign of kisses that made me moan inside of his mouth with pleasure. There was force behind his movement now, deliberation to please both him and myself as he went in deeper. I found my nails clawing into him while I made wanton sounds on top of his bed, like a girl that was well pleasured and was begging for more. “Fuck, Pete,” I moaned into his hollowed collarbone and grabbed his head so I could thank him with my lips, my tongue, my moans pressed up right against his ear. He loved it, I knew, for he grew more aggressive by the second, forgetting his kind words earlier once lust came over him like a wild tempest.

He was so bent on pleasing me that his hand slipped away from the back of my neck and pressed between the folds of our body till his fingers went around our prime spot of pleasure. His thumb ran across the sides of my sensitive area, creating heated friction that made me moan out with an open mouth, and brings his hips into me desperate for more. “Petyr, please,” I begged in between heated breaths. “More, just like that.”

“Just like that?”

“God, I can’t take it, Pete,” I wailed, and felt like a wall that was quickly crumbling to the ground.

“Just like that,” Petyr growled and increased the pace of his fingers around the area like a train steaming rolling out of control. “You like that!”

I licked my top lip at him, too careless with desire to answer him with words. He replied in his own kind of way, placing his lips firmly on mine to give me hurried kisses at the heat of moment. HIs hands were forgotten, he raised it up to cup the side of my cheek and punish me with his lips as he barred down on me for the last time.

“Oh, Sansa,” he cooed, after he stopped, and laughed in front of my face with a pleased air. “That was good, wasn’t it?”

I nodded my head tiredly, still feeling the sensation down below as he remained inside of me. I shifted my shoulders comfortably on the bed and tilted my chin upwards to have a better look at him. He was sweaty and tired, but his eyes glowed fiercely with its natural hue.

“I’m happy we did this.”

I pecked him on the side of my cheek with my lips, breathing him in for a moment before I let my head fall back on the bed.

“And now I know what you like,” he voiced aloud, while his eyes looked at the grey and white stripped sheets beside me. “But I still have time to explore more.”

“Of what I like?”

“Yes, sweetling,” he answered me, while he raised his fingers in front of our faces. “Who knew a few well placed fingers could do that to you.”

“It was your cock.”

“Both,” he laughed, and tilted his head to the side to give me a tender kiss. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, Petyr,” I shyly replied, and tilted my head away knowing my hair must have been a mess.

“Truly beautiful,” he relayed with an honest look, and batted his eyelashes at me as he calmly took me in. “You must be tired?”

“A little, are you?”

“A little. Its hard work pleasing you.”

“Am I that demanding?”

“No,” he chuckled, before he let his fingers rover around my wild bed head. “I just wanted to make sure you had a good time.”

“I did.”

“I know,” he laughed. “I heard it.”

I slapped him on his shoulder teasingly, before I buried my face into the crook of his neck to stop the fit of laughter that was steadily rising inside of me. It was weird feeling his abdomen rise and fall against me, the way his body trembled when he laughed at my vain attempts. There was a stength to his touch when he entangled our hands together, interlacing our fingers together till they were folded on top of one another. He stared at them pleasantly, letting small crinkles form around the sides of his eyes as he wore a lopsided grin. “I’m happy my theory proved true,” he uttered in a strangely compelling voice. “It was worth the wait, was it not?”

“It was worth all of it.”

“And we can do it again… when the time is right.”

“I’ll keep up with my training.”

“You better,” he warned with an over-indulgent look. “I’ll let you rest,” he muttered, as he gently pulled himself out. “I will still need your help tonight, if you’re up for it.”

“I’ll go anywhere you go.”

“Even to the fires of hell?”

“Even that.”

“Luckily, its Greenwich subway station.” There was a mischievious smug on his face when he uttered, “There is some people I would like you to meet, and maybe killl.”

“Maybe.”

“I am only teasing you, Sansa,” he relayed before he kissed the top of my brow. “I will need your help in truth, but I will not put you at risk. Do you understand?”

“I do.” He rolled over to the side of the bed, and reached down to the floor to lift up a heavy blanket to cover our nakedness.

“I forgot to use some kind of protection-”

“Its alright, I’ll take a pill.”

“There’s a risk.”

“Don’t worry about it, Petyr. Can we just enjoy the moment?” I curled myself against his solid frame, bringing his arm from his side to lay across my waist. He was warm, and I felt comfort being so enraptured in his arms.

“Goodnight, Sansa.”

“I’m not going to sleep.”

He didn’t bother to reply, but I felt a sleeping sickness suddenly come over me, and it wasn’t until my head laid softly against the bed with his hand just over my left ear that I knew it was him that was putting me to sleep. “Goodnight, Petyr,” I voiced out reluctantly, before I let his enchantment fully come over me.

* * *

Petyr was buttoning up his shirt in the warm flavescent light. His hand half covered his face as the sun’s rays fell against the right side of his profile. He squinted slightly from the sun, before he tilted his body to the left and continued to botton up his shirt. I was eager to put my hands on him, so I got out of the bed and strode towards him, knowing his eyes were taking in my naked form eagerly.

“Hi handsome,” I cooed, and let my hands slip just underneath his arms so I could wrap my hands around his back. “You were good.”

“Hmph,” he said with a smug. “I like the way you get up after I slept with you.”

“Then you should do it more often.”

“I should,” he agreed, while he buttoned up the last two buttons.

“Are you going out?”

“I’m just getting ready. Don’t worry we still have time together.”

“Okay, good.”

He let his large hands encicle my waist, while he tilted his head slightly to brush the tops of his lips down the smooth grooves of my neck. Petyr’s goatee tickled me slightly, making my back go upright the more his lips explored the delicate surface. He kissed it suddenly, and made a sweet murmurring sound before he pulled his head away. “I’m pleased that I can still touch you.”

“Do you think it will go away?”

“It’s a possibility.” He took my hand and led me back to bed, placing me down on his lap before he circled my hips with his hands again. “I’m surprised it lasted this long.”

I adjusted his collar affectionately as I mutterted, “Maybe you’re cured.”

“Maybe you are?” he said in a sarcastic tone. “Whatever it is, I am happy to touch you so freely.”

“And fuck me.”

“If you must be so crude, then yes, to fuck you.”

I snickered into the front of his chest, ignoring the feverish way his hand roamed over my naked body. I could stay like this forever, I realized, and knew it was a possibility with him.

“Could you freeze time?” I asked him.

“What? And never leave my bedroom?”

“Yes,” I giggled, as I let my hand glide over the side of his tired looking face.

“Will do it again.” He leaned into my hand gratefully as he added, “I promise.”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Oh, I intend to keep this one.”

“You would,” I laughed, as he lifted me off his lap, only to stretch me out across the bed. “You’re dressed,” I giggled, as he went on top of me with a cunning smirk.

“Who says I have to be undressed?" he pointed out, and broke my legs apart before he settled his weight on top of them. “Don’t move,” he warned, before he let his fingers trail over the open area curiously, like a man examining it with interest. “I’m tempted but…” a slight pleasure was felt that made me inhale the air sharply with an audible sound. “I need you in tip top shape.”

“What are you doing?” I asked, as he applied slightly more pressure around it with his finger and thumb.

“Contemplating something, but for another time.” He moved his hand away with some reluctance, eyes shining with darkness when he finally looked up at me. “Too much temptation,” he drawled, before he rose to his feet. “You can take a shower and then get dressed. I’ll get Wong to get you something to eat. I want you to be strong.”

“What were you going to do?”

“Come, Sansa, you have an imagination,” he jeered with narrowed eye-lids to cover the darkness that was penetrating around his orbs.

“I want to know.”

“Let’s just say you made me hungry,” he quipped, and waved his hand in the air to instruct his Cloak of Levitation to lift off the floor. “Now, go take a hot shower,” he instructed, and I felt it was more for his benefit than for my own.

“Why you have to fix something?” I teased, and pointed at the tent in his pants that was seen through his black trousers. He quickly covered it with his cloak, giving the impression that it was an expensive housecoat by the way he threw it over his shoulders. That explains the dress shirt he’s wearing, I noted, and wondered the reason for his disguise that made him look like a common civilian. “Alright, I’ll have a shower,” I told him, and ignored the smirk he gave as I quickly walked away.

* * *

 Petyr’s arm was around me as we walked down the stairs, he kept kissing my bare shoulder, liking the way his white tank top fitted around my slender frame. His shaky hands lifted up the folds of it, letting his warm hands graze my bare skin. He stopped me suddenly on the third step, and leaned me against the railing so he could take his time with his kisses. Petyr couldn’t get enough, and soon, it was I who was leaning my hand against his chest to lead him to the wall for a punishment of my own.

My tank top came off, and soon I was lifted into the air with my legs straddling him as he wrapped his mouth around my lips with his tongue begging for more. There was not a hint of self-control, and I found myself groaning much to loud as his not so innocent hands tightened their grip around my ass.

“Upstairs?” he said through gritted teeth.

“We couldn’t even…” I stop after he leaned forward to kiss me full on the lips. “Make it past the third step.”

He pivoted his feet to the right and began to mount the stairs at a quickened pace. We slammed against his bedroom door, both desperately reaching for the door handle, before Petyr remembered to use a spell to unlock it. We both sprinted in the room, his hands in front of him as he tried to catch me, I went on the other side of the bed with a sinister grin, liking the way he glared at me with desire from afar. He stood on top of his bed with his right foot and carried the other over the high surface until he was standing on top of the bed. “Come join me,” he drawled from the back of his throat.

“What will happen if I do?”

“You’ll find out,” he said from the corner of his mouth. He brushed his hair across his tossled curls, making it unitdy like it was before we decided to get out of bed the first time.

“Take my hand,” I said, and held them both before me so he could lift me atop of the bed. “I like this dark side of you.”

“Dark side,” he droned with a teasing gesture.

“So, are you going to take off your clothes, or what?”

“So eager,” he breathed, but I could tel he was just as eager as I.

“Maybe I want to see that massive cock again.”

“You like it.”

“I’d like it more if it was in me.”

“Yes, but where?”

“Oh, you would just say that,” I laughed, as he tilted me backwards and kissed the length of my neck suddenly. I was feverish, on fire, as he roamed his lips down my neck with a single nick of his teeth by the end of it. “Do we have time for one more?” I asked, after he steadied me to my feet again.

“If I’m quick.”

“Then be quick.”

He let our clothes dissolve with a flick of the wrist as he backed away from me, and I was slightly afraid he would return to the normal state again. _I need him strong, I told myself, but I have to be stronger._ There was no sign of him relapsing. HIs eyes were a clear forest green with a tint of silver at the sides. His hands were in the usual shaky state, a thing that eagerly made me take it in my own the second my clothes fell off my form. He brought it to his lips eagerly, kissing the back of my hand to show the favour he held for me. “My sweet, Sansa,” he cooed, and ended it with a genuine smile that made my heart almost melt into a puddle of goo.

I bent down on the bed, and then lay flat against it, knowing his towering figure would be best seen at this angle. _I can see something else as well,_ I noted, and blinked timidly at his hardened member that was in my line of vision. Petyr noticed the betrayal in my flushed cheeks, and bent down on his knees till he was at an appropriate level. He was so kind, so good to me, and I wanted to show him just how appreciative I was. “Can I be on top?” I suddenly asked, and found it was met with laughter.

“Do you want too?”

“I want to try.”

“Hmmm,” Petyr mumbled with pursed lips. “I’m a big man, Sansa, are you sure you’re up for it?"

“I did ask you to be quick.”

“You did.”

“Another time.”

“We can try it out,” he said with a slight gesture of his hand in the air. “I’m curious to try a few things of my own.”

“Like what?”

“Well…” He let his hands trail over the curves of my breast, lost in his own sensual desire that made his cock harden even more. “I think you’ll need some more experience first.”

“Then maybe you should give me some more,” I slyly replied, and beckoned him forward with a wave of my finger till he went on top of me. “Fuck me.”

He chuckled with closed lips, letting his head shake from side to side with slight amusement. “Sansa Stark, I never know what to expect from you in bed.”

“Then it's time to find out,” I told him, before he rammed himself inside of me to give a good fucking.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am usually all about plot over porn, but here's an exception. I hoped you enjoyed it ;)


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